The 2017 Africa Cup of Nations performances were rewarded with a surge in rankings for several countries. Cameroon's triumph at the tournament helped them climb 29 places to 33rd position, while Egypt's second-place finish secured them a spot in the top 25. The most significant changes in the February edition of the FIFA/Coca-Cola world rankings have occurred courtesy of matches played in the ACN which was held in Gabon from 14 January to 5 February. The Pharaohs (23rd, up 12) are now the highest-ranked CAF team. Beaten semi-finalists Burkina Faso (38th, up 15) and Ghana (45th, up 9) have also enjoyed large gains while quarter-finalists DR Congo (37th, up 12) and Morocco (48th, up 9) plus hosts Gabon (87th, up 21) also have cause to celebrate. In total, 60 matches counted towards the latest ranking. These included the Africa Cup of Nations (32), the 2017 Copa Centro Americana (15) and international friendlies (13). Honduras (65th, up 10) and El Salvador (114th, up 24) have both enjoyed big moves thanks to their performances at the Copa Centro Americana held from 13 to 22 January. Egyptian team Despite the many successes of teams from Central America and Africa in recent weeks, the composition of the top five remains unchanged for the February ranking. Argentina (1st), Brazil (2nd), Germany (3rd), Chile (4th) and Belgium (5th) have all held on to their positions, while France (6th, up 1) have supplanted Colombia (7th, down 1). Honourable mentions go to the following five teams, who have all reached best-ever positions this month: Poland (14th, up 1), Peru (18th, up 1), Iceland (20th, up 1), DR Congo (37th, up 12) and Curaçao (73th, up 2). Leader: Argentina (unchanged) Moves into top 10: None Moves out of top 10: None Matches played in total: 60 Most matches played: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana (6 matches each) Biggest move by points: Cameroon (up 244 points) Biggest move by ranks: Cameroon (up 29 ranks) Biggest drop by points: Costa Rica (down 93 points) Biggest drop by ranks: Côte d'Ivoire (down 13 ranks) Newly ranked teams: None Teams that are no longer ranked: None Inactive teams, not ranked: None The next FIFA/Coca-Cola world ranking will be published on 9 March.
