La selección marroquí mantiene la segunda plaza de los países africanos en el ranking FIFA

After the recent conclusion of the Arab Cup, FIFA, as usual after the end of any official tournament, has released the new ranking of national football teams. On this occasion there have not been too many changes apart from the rise of Algeria, who were crowned champions of the tournament organised by Qatar. Morocco also gained points in a ranking that keeps the team from the Alawi kingdom as the second best team on the African continent - only behind Senegal - and 28th in the world, followed by the Algerians who gained almost eight points with their new title.

Morocco reached the quarter-finals of the Arab Cup where they faced Algeria and lost on penalties. Their participation, far from being brilliant, helped them to gain just over four points and maintain their second place in the ranking of African countries. Senegal, the first in Africa, has not moved either and remains 20th in the world rankings. The positions in the rankings have not moved much due to the small number of teams participating in the Arab Cup. However, it is expected that the upcoming Africa Cup will bring more movement in the rankings.

The Africa Cup kicks off on Sunday 9 January with two matches: Cameroon v Burkina Faso, and Ethiopia v Cape Verde. This tournament, unlike the Arab Cup, will feature some of the big stars of the national teams. Top players, such as Sevilla players Yassine Bounou, Youssef En-Nesyri and Munir El Haddadi, former Real Madrid player and current Paris Saint-Germain player Achraf Hakimi, and one of the promising players who made his debut this year in the Spanish league with FC Barcelona, Abdessamad Ezzalzouli, better known as Ez Abde, have been called up by Morocco to take part in this competition.

However, as is the case with any national team tournament in the middle of the season, it has brought with it much controversy. In the case of Sevilla, the anger is very great as they will lose up to three players, two of them undisputed starters in Julen Lopetegui's eleven, such as Bounou and En-Nesyri. The latter has spent most of the season injured and is now regaining his fitness with occasional appearances in Sevilla matches. And that is why, after not being able to count on the striker for a long time due to physical problems, they do not want to do without him at a crucial moment of the season.