With the 2022 FIFA World Cup now over, two African sides have finished among the top 10 teams in the tournament's ranking.
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The latest edition of the global showpiece had some memorable moments, with the highest-goalscoring World Cup throwing up a lot of surprises, and perhaps none more so than Morocco's run to the competition's semi-final stage.
The Atlas Lions topped what was arguably the toughest group during the tournament's first round, one that included Croatia, Belgium and Canada, before going on to triumph over Iberian nations Spain and Portugal in the following knockout stages.
Their victory over the Selecao meant that the north African giants became the first side from Africa to make it that far into the World Cup. Their run came to an end after defeat to France, though, and their subsequent loss to the Croats in the third-place play-off match meant that Walid Regragui's charges finished fourth in FIFA's tournament ranking.
The final rankings of the 2022 FIFA World Cup: pic.twitter.com/7dlEkBaz8P
— Zach Lowy (@ZachLowy) December 19, 2022
Completing the top 10 best nations in Qatar were African champions Senegal. Aliou Cisse's men went into the spectacle without talisman Sadio Mane but managed to make it out of their group behind the Netherlands. The Lions of Teranga's exit from the World Cup came in the next round, when they were thwarted 3-0 by England.
While Morocco and Senegal were the only African side to progress from the group stage, the other three CAF representatives also gave a good account of themselves.
This was the first time each African team was managed by a coach from their country, and it was at this World Cup where the continent's ambassadors were able to win more games than any other edition of this tournament, with nine victories.
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Morocco's fourth place and Senegal's 10th place tournament ranking is justified considering they were the two highest-ranked African nations going into the tournament – 22nd and 18th, respectfully – rankings that should receive a significant upgrade after the tournament's outcome.
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