The Gambia has once again missed out on participating in international friendlies during the recent FIFA window, while many other African nations used the opportunity to prepare for upcoming AFCON and World Cup qualifiers. According to the most recent FIFA ranking published on February 15, 2024, The Gambia’s football ranking has dropped, with the country now ranked 130th in the world and 39th out of 53 countries in Africa.

The drop in rankings follows a series of poor results, including three defeats in the Afcon 2023 group stage and two defeats in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Burundi and Cote d’Ivoire. The absence of friendlies during the FIFA window is expected to further impact the country’s ranking both globally and in Africa.

The Gambia was close to playing in the preliminary qualifiers for the next Afcon in Morocco in 2025, as the eight lowest ranked countries play in preliminary quarters before joining the main qualifiers groups. Meanwhile, Cote d’Ivoire, the winner of Afcon 2023 and in the same group as The Gambia for the World Cup qualifiers, defeated Uruguay 2-1 in a friendly, while Kenya, another team in the group, defeated Zimbabwe 3-1 in another international friendly.

The Gambia’s national team, known as the Scorpions, has been without a coach since Tom Sanfied resigned during the Afcon 2023 in Cote d’Ivoire. Although the vacant position has been advertised by the Gambia Football Federation, a replacement for Tom is yet to be announced.