Morocco is currently navigating the international break with the ambition of preserving its advanced position in the FIFA world rankings, having temporarily risen to fifth place, pending the results of its matches against Lesotho and Ghana before the final ranking is released on October 7.
Morocco is currently ranked fifth with 1803.99 points, just slightly ahead of Brazil in sixth place with 1802.90 points, according to the provisional ranking published during the international break. The final ranking will be confirmed after accounting for the results of international matches and officially updating the points.
The match against Lesotho, scheduled for this Tuesday in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, holds extra significance for the Moroccan national team, as it is an official match that could directly impact their ranking in the system established by FIFA.
The points awarded vary depending on the nature of the match, the strength of the opponent, and the result achieved, making a positive result against Lesotho an important factor in Morocco's calculations, especially given the close proximity to Brazil in the ranking table.
After facing Lesotho, Morocco will have a friendly match against Ghana on October 4, in its final test before the new ranking is released. This match also counts towards the calculations, although its weight in the ranking system is different from that of an official match.
These factors compel the Moroccan national team to maintain their focus during the Friendlies, especially since any setback could affect their calculations. Additionally, their final position does not solely depend on their results, but is also linked to the outcomes of matches involving other teams close to them in the rankings.
Finishing in fifth place represents a new milestone for Morocco to confirm its presence among the world's elite national teams, while the team seeks to continue improving its record and solidifying its advanced position ahead of the official ranking announcement on October 7.
The matches against Lesotho and Ghana provide the coaching staff and players with an opportunity to assess their readiness and continue achieving positive results, alongside their potential impact on the national team's ranking in the world classification.
The race for the fifth position remains open until the end of the international match period, as maintaining or changing this position will depend on the results of Morocco and the competing national teams for the nearby spots, primarily Brazil.
Morocco faces two tests ahead of the new ranking.
