The Bright Stars Photo/SSFA

South Sudan Men’s Football Team has fallen by three spots to 172nd place in the latest FIFA rankings, having scored 967.83 points following a run of poor performance at qualifiers tournaments.

The drop is attributed to the team’s recent struggles in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and the Africa Cup of Nations where they faced a series of defeats.

In their recent matches, the Bright Stars lost 3-0 to Sudan, 1-0 to Congo Brazzaville, and were narrowly defeated by South Africa win a hard-fought 3-2 victory at Juba Stadium.

Despite the recent setbacks, South Sudan is preparing for a crucial challenge next month in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

They will face Uganda, who recently improved their ranking by five places, now standing at 90th globally with 1257.64 points.

The home-and-away matches against Uganda could play a key role in South Sudan’s journey toward continental qualification.

While South Sudan’s ranking has declined, other teams in the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) have shown progress. Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania all improved in the global standings:

Uganda climbs five places to 90th (1257.64 points), Kenya rises by six spots to 102nd (1208.96 points), and Tanzania jumps three places to 110th (1188.24 points).

Meanwhile, Sudan ranks 130th with 1154.5 points, Rwanda at 136th (1123.32 points), Burundi holds 145th place (1101.79 points), and Ethiopia is tied with South Sudan at 172nd (1063.44 points).

At the continental level, Morocco continues to lead Africa’s rankings, holding the 14th position globally with 1676.14 points. Senegal ranks second in Africa and 21st in the world with 1620.87 points.

Argentina retains the top spot globally, followed by France, Spain, England, and Brazil in the top five.

In Asia, Japan leads the region, followed by Iran, South Korea, and Australia.