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Equatorial Guinea Coach Esteban Becker Lauds His Side’s FIFA Ranking Push

Equatorial Guinea Coach Esteban Becker Lauds His Side’s FIFA Ranking Push

Esteban Becker, coach of the Equatorial Guinea national team, has commented on his team’s astonishing upward movement in the FIFA Rankings following their positive display at the recently concluded 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The Nzalang Nacional managed to reach the semi-finals of the tournament, their best ever finish at a Nations Cup, while enjoying the home support following their decision to host the cup as a replacement for Morocco.

Equatorial Guinea managed to overcome the likes of Gabon, Burkina Faso and finally Tunisia in the quarter-finals before a solid Ghana ended their run with a 3-0 semi-final defeat.

The results they were able to achieve at the tournament saw their ranking change 69 places to a February ranking of 49th in the list, their best ever position.

Equatorial Guinea only took part in the tournament after qualifying as host nation following Morocco’s withdrawal, and in a similar fashion coach Becker replaced Andoni Goikoetxea a month before the tournament, having previously won the African Women’s Championship with the country’s women’s team.

Reflecting on his side’s great AFCON run, and the subsequent effect that it produced on the rankings, Becker was quick to state that fortune had not played a part in this process.

“Moving from 118 to 49 in the FIFA rankings was not by chance, luck or good fortune,” said Becker, according to FIFA.com.

“There was methodical, intelligent and planned work involved. Nothing was left to chance. There was method, much effort and players who played good football.”