By: Kemo Kanyi
The Gambia’s national football team, the Scorpions, has made a significant leap in the September 2025 FIFA World Rankings, moving up eight places to 115th globally and climbing four spots to 30th in Africa.
Under head coach Johnathan McKinstry, the team had previously been ranked 123rd in the world and 34th in Africa in the July 2025 rankings.
The impressive rise comes on the back of two strong performances in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, a 3-1 victory over Kenya, followed by a 2-0 win against Burundi. These results have lifted the Gambia to third place in their qualification group, with two crucial matches remaining next month.
Thanks to their recent form, the Scorpions’ FIFA ranking points increased by 25.57, from 1141.36 to 1165.93.
Gambia is now unbeaten in four consecutive matches, a run that began in June with a win over Equatorial Guinea and a draw against Uganda. This upward trajectory is expected to have a positive impact on the team’s seeding for the 2027 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, which could influence their chances of a smoother path to qualification.
