Tanzania Slip as Kenya Rise in Latest FIFA Rankings

Tanzania have fallen behind in the latest FIFA rankings, giving Kenya a timely boost as Harambee Stars climbed above their East African rivals following an impressive win over Grenada.

Kenya’s dominant 3-0 victory against the Caribbean side during the FIFA Series in Kigali played a key role in the shift. The result earned Harambee Stars valuable ranking points, pushing them up two places to position 111 globally. This rise sees Kenya move ahead of Tanzania, who dropped to 113th after a difficult run of results.

Tanzania’s decline was largely due to their narrow 1-0 defeat to Liechtenstein, a loss that proved costly in terms of ranking points. The setback allowed Kenya to overtake them in the regional standings, reshaping the East African hierarchy.

Harambee Stars ended their FIFA Series campaign on a strong note, with goals from Austin Odhiambo, Ryan Ogam and Zech Obiero securing a convincing win over Grenada. The performance highlighted the team’s attacking strength and improved cohesion under the current setup.

Kenya’s Momentum Under McCarthy

The victory marked the end of Kenya’s four-match winless streak under head coach Benni McCarthy, offering a much-needed confidence boost. In addition to the morale lift, the win contributed 3.23 points to Kenya’s total, bringing them to 1,182.23 points overall.

Although Kenya had earlier suffered a setback against Estonia—losing 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw—the negative impact on their ranking was minimal compared to the gains from their triumph over Grenada.

Within the East African region, Uganda continue to lead the pack at position 88. Kenya now sit second, while Tanzania have slipped to third following their recent dip in form.

Elsewhere, Rwanda benefited from a successful FIFA Series campaign, climbing to position 128 after emerging as tournament winners. Estonia remained steady at 129, while Grenada registered a slight improvement to 163 despite their heavy loss.

Globally, France have moved to the top of the rankings, overtaking Spain, with Argentina, England, Portugal and Brazil completing the top five.

Kenya will now aim to build on this positive momentum as they prepare for upcoming fixtures, with the improved ranking serving as encouragement for McCarthy’s squad.