The oil-rich hosts are ranked 40th in Africa and a lowly 152 in the world.Sudan are 15th out of the 16 nations at number 27 in Africa and 103 in the world. The Zebras, ranked 25th in Africa and 95th in the world are only above Sudan and Equatorial Guinea after a consistent slide since the beginning of the year. The Zebras' fall on the rankings was despite a brilliant year in which they only lost once in a competitive match, a 1-0 loss to Togo. Ivory Coast is the top ranked team, first in Africa and 16th in the world.
The Elephants, Ghana, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea are the top seeds for next January's tournament. The Zebras will be delighted to be in the same group as Equatorial Guinea, but will loath any pairing with the remaining top seeded countries. Ghana is currently the third best team in Africa and 37th in the world, while Gabon is at number 15 on the continent. Gabon and Equatorial Guinea are among the top seeds by virtue of being co-hosts. The rankings are not likely to change much between now and the finals, which run from January 23 to February 13.
