Egypt fell one position to 58 in the FIFA global football rankings for March, after placing 57 last month. The Pharaohs, winners of a record seven African Cup of Nations (CAN) trophies, did not play any games in the last period as after they failed to qualify for the 2015 African Cup of Nations. The seven-time African Champions have failed to reach Africa's showpiece three times in a row, the first time it has missed at least two consecutive tournaments since failing to qualify for the 1965 and 1968 CAN. Egypt made it into the world's top 10 after winning three successive African Cup of Nations trophies, in 2006, 2008 and 2010. The Egyptian FA appointed on Monday Hector Cuper as the new boss of the Egyptian football national team ahead of 2017 African Cup qualifiers as well as the 2018 World Cup qualifiers. Egypt last reached the World Cup in 1990. They will start the 2017 African Cup qualifiers in June then the 2018 World Cup qualifiers in October. They were on the lookout for a new boss after Shawky Gharib was sacked in November following their staggering failure to qualify for the Nations Cup for the third time in a row. Algeria who are 18 in the world ranking leads African nations, while African Cup of Nations winner Ivory Coast still runners, with Germany remaining top. FIFA world ranking (February position in parentheses): 1. Germany (1) 2. Argentina (2) 3. Colombia (3) 4. Belgium (4) 5. Netherlands (5) 6. Brazil (6) 7. Portugal (7) 8. France (7) 9. Uruguay (10) 10. Italy (12) Top five African teams: 18. Algeria (18) 20. Ivory Coast (20) 23. Ghana (25) 25. Tunisia (24) 36. Senegal (36) Top five Arab teams: 18. Algeria(18) 25. Tunisia (24) 58. Egypt (57) 69. United Arab Emirates (66) 89. Morocco (88) (For more sports news andupdates, followAhramOnlineSportson Twitter at@AO_Sportsand onFacebookatAhramOnlineSports.) http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/125050.aspx
