By Mohamed Yossry
Jan 19 (Reuters) - Morocco have achieved their highest FIFA men's world ranking, rising to eighth, despite losing the Africa Cup of Nations final to Senegal, who climbed to 12th on Monday.
Morocco were beaten 1-0 after extra time by Senegal in the decider in Rabat on Sunday, but the hosts had a chance to win the trophy with a last-gasp penalty at the end of regulation time.
However, Brahim Diaz squandered the kick after having to wait some 14 minutes for the Senegal players to return, as they walked off the field to protest the penalty decision.
Morocco moved up three spots in the January ranking to eighth. The 2022 World Cup semi-finalists' previous best was 10th in April 1998.
The highest ranking achieved by an African team was Nigeria's fifth in April 1994, while Egypt posted the best ranking among Arab nations when they reached ninth in July 2010.
Champions Senegal, who emerged victorious for a second time in the last three editions, moved up seven spots to reach their highest-ever ranking. Their previous best was 17th, achieved in 2024.
The AFCON results have had a huge impact on the ranking of African teams, as several positions have shifted.
Bronze medallists Nigeria (26th) were the team that gained the most points, collecting 79.09 points to move up 12 spots, the same as Cameroon (45th), making them the biggest climbers.
Egypt, who reached the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations, climbed four places to 31st, three spots behind Algeria.
Gabon, who were eliminated in the group stage, lost 44.97 points to become the team that lost the most points, dropping to 86th. Equatorial Guinea, meanwhile, suffered the biggest fall, sliding 10 spots to 107th.
European champions Spain kept top spot, ahead of World Cup holders Argentina. France are third, followed by England, Brazil, Portugal and the Netherlands, with no change in the ranking of the top seven teams.
(Reporting by Mohamed Yossry in Cairo, editing by Christian Radnedge)
