Mustapha Hadji places Egypt behind four African rivals despite FIFA ranking

Mustapha Hadji believes Egypt currently rank only fifth among Africa’s leading national teams, despite their position as the continent’s third-highest side in the latest FIFA rankings.

Egypt are 25th in the world in the most recent standings, but the Morocco legend told Kooora that four other African teams are performing at a higher level at present.

Hadji named Morocco as his strongest side on the continent, followed by Senegal, Mali and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with Egypt completing his top five.

“Morocco are in first place, then Senegal, Mali, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Egypt, in that order,” Hadji said in his interview with Kooora.

Asked why he had placed Egypt below the four teams, the former Morocco international pointed to the age profile of their squad.

“The average age of Egypt’s players is currently between 30 and 33, so it is difficult to rank them higher,” he said.

Hadji acknowledged Egypt’s long-standing status in African football and praised the domestic game for its contribution to the national team.

“Egypt were the best team in Africa for many years, and the Egyptian league is the strongest on the continent. It produces the best local players,” he added.

He also compared Egypt with Germany, saying the north African side had traditionally been defined by discipline and physical strength.

“We always say that Egypt are the ‘Germany of Africa’ because of the tactical discipline and physical power of Egyptian players,” said Hadji.

“However, the increase in the average age of the squad at the moment is what led me to this ranking.”

Despite placing Egypt fifth, Hadji said they had been badly treated in their most recent World Cup campaign and deserved a longer run in the competition.

“Egypt suffered clear injustice against Argentina at the 2026 World Cup and deserved to go further in the tournament,” he said.

Egypt reached the last 16 of the tournament for the first time in their history. They also advanced to the semi-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

Hadji’s ranking placed Morocco at the top while leaving out other major African teams, including Algeria and Cote d’Ivoire.