Moroccan players dominate 2022 ‘World Best’ football rankings

While Moroccan team members ranked high in categories including the best goalkeeper, coach, and playmaker in the 2022 rankings, there were plenty of Africans named in the “Men’s World Best” list.

Doha, Qatar | BIRD AGENCY | Morocco’s national team goalkeeper, Yassine Bounou, was ranked third-best goalkeeper in the world in 2022, while the team’s coach, Walid Regragui, also came third in the Men’s World Best National Coach ranking.

This is according to the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS), a football research and ranking agency that has published annual rankings for footballers and game managers globally since 1988.

Regragui was awarded 30 points in the national team coach category, where he ranked two positions behind Argentina’s Lionel Scaloni and Didier Deschamps of France, who scored 240 and 45 points, respectively.

Another Moroccan player, Hakim Ziyech, also a Chelsea forward, came in at position nine in the World’s Best Playmaker category in the 2022 edition.

Known for his technical skills, visionary mindset, and creativity when with the ball, Ziyech has mastered the art of providing goal assists and scoring.

His skill set has seen the 29-year-old score over 20 goals for the Atlas Lions and more than 11 goal assists in the national team.

His teammate Achraff Hakimi was included in IFFHS’ ideal team of 2022, which featured Luka Modric, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.

Hakimi appeared in seven matches during the 2022 World Cup, hitting two on-target attempts of four attempts.

Walid Regragui, already third in the World’s Best National Coach ranking 2022, also took third place in World’s Best Club Coach 2022 with Wydad Casablanca, winner of the CAF Champions League.

It is the first time in the history of the IFFHS Awards that a coach takes place on the podium the same year in the two coach categories.

The IFFHS also published the world’s top goal-scorers ranking in the 3rd Decade of the XXI Century based on the results of the first two years (2021 and 2022).

Sudan’s Mohamed Rahman, Kenya’s Michael Olunga, and Egypt’s Mohamed Salah came in at No. 8, 11 and 12, respectively.

Also in the top 50 was Ricardo Gomes (Cape Verde), Peter Shalulile (Namibia), Ayoub El Kaabi (Morocco), Kodjo Fo-Doh Laba(Togo), Sadio Mane (Senegal) and Sébastien Haller (Côte d’Ivoire).

In the Best International Goalscorers category, Sadio Mane ranked 5th, followed by Mohamed Salah (10th), Senegal’s Vincent Aboubakar (15th), Ghana’s Mohamed Kudus (22nd), with Victorien Adebayor of Niger closing Africa’s list at position 24.

South Africa’s Victor Gomes was ranked 5th in the Men’s World Best Referee 2022.

In 2022, the 40-year-old, who recently announced his retirement, officiated seven games; two World Cup matches, one World Cup Qualifying – Africa match; and four Africa Cup of Nations matches.

He retires from the sport proudly bearing the title of best African referee.

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SOURCE: bird story agency