How a football underdog climbed from 202nd to 89th in the world
In short: The Central African Republic is often viewed as one of the weakest footballing nations. Yet, between 2010 and 2011, they achieved a meteoric rise in the FIFA rankings, proving that even the most overlooked teams can produce moments of historic brilliance.
Historically known as Ubangi-Shari, the team made its international debut in 1956 against French Cameroon. Following the establishment of the Central African Football Federation in 1961, the nation joined FIFA in 1964 and the CAF in 1965. For decades, the squad—nicknamed Les Fauves—struggled to find consistent success, often finishing at the bottom of groups or withdrawing from competitions entirely, such as during the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
The turn of the decade brought a remarkable resurgence. In August 2010, the team sat at 202nd in the FIFA world rankings. However, a series of high-profile performances transformed their standing. On 10 October 2010, they secured a shocking 2–0 home victory against Algeria, a top-seeded side that had recently competed in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. This victory propelled them to the top of their qualification group and set the stage for a rapid ascent to 89th in the world by July 2011.
The team's trophy cabinet grew in 2009 when they hosted the CEMAC Cup. A 3–0 victory over Equatorial Guinea in the final secured their initial major trophy, featuring goals by Salif Kéïta and Hilaire Momi's brace. Despite these triumphs, the team has faced persistent challenges in qualifying for major tournaments. Most recently, they missed opportunities to reach the Africa Cup of Nations in both 2021 and 2023, narrowly failing to secure the necessary results in the final stages of qualification.
Even in their struggles, they have achieved unique milestones. In June 2012, they earned their first FIFA World Cup qualifying win by beating Botswana 2–0. Later that month, they inflicted the first home defeat on Egypt in AFCON qualifiers since 1965, winning 3–2 despite being reduced to ten men.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Central African Republic national football team
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/history-central-african-republic-national-football-team.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in Born on this day · More in History · Latest · A–Z · All topics
