JOHANNESBURG,  (AFP) – Inactive Algeria and Nigeria climbed the FIFA Africa football rankings in August while South Africa stayed put despite defeating fellow top-10 team Burkina Faso.

Nigeria climbed one place to fourth although a friendly against Ghana near London had to be postponed because of rioting in the English capital.

South Africa trounced Burkina Faso 3-0 yet remained seventh on rankings gaining increasing importance as they are used to determine seedings for major competitions like World Cup qualifiers.

Algeria did not play on the mid-week dates officially reserved for friendlies this month as they had just changed coaches with Bosnian Vahid Halilhodzic inheriting a struggling side.

But when the monthly rankings were released Wednesday by Zurich-based world football governing body FIFA, Algeria had jumped three rungs on the ladder to sixth since July.

Another hard-to-understand change on the rankings saw 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers Botswana slip four places to 19 although they defeated Kenya.

Didier Drogba-skippered Ivory Coast stayed top of the table after surviving a second-half Israeli comeback to win 4-3 in neutral Geneva.

Egypt, also inactive as they have not named a successor to coach Hassan Shehata since he quit in June after a disastrous Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, held on to second spot ahead of Ghana.

Burkina Faso dropped one place to fifth with coach Paulo Duarte blaming South Africa for the late arrival of some squad members before a 3-0 drubbing in Johannesburg.

South African officials reacted angrily to the claims of the Portuguese and provided proof that they were not responsible for Burkinabe travel or visa hitches.

The Duarte outburst demonstrated how seriously coaches are taking rankings that were once little more than a media curiosity.

Seychelles made the most spectacular improvement during August, climbing seven places from the bottom of the 52-nation table, a position now occupied by tiny Horn of Africa state Djibouti.

Rankings (Africa, World)

Ivory Coast 1 15

Egypt 2 34

Ghana 3 36

Nigeria 4 38

Burkina Faso 5 40

Algeria 6 46

South Africa 7 47

Senegal 8 49

Cameroon 9 52

Tunisia 10 57

Morocco 11 61

Libya 12 64

Gabon 13 67

Guinea 14 69

Cape Verde Islands 15 72

Malawi 16 73

Zimbabwe 17 74

Zambia 18 76

Botswana 19 78

Uganda 20 80

Mali 21 81

Benin 22 83

Sierra Leone 23 92

Angola 24 96

Sudan 25 98

Mozambique 26 99

Central African Republic 27 104

Niger 27 104

Gambia 29 107

Togo 30 121

Liberia 31 123

Tanzania 32 125

Democratic Republic of Congo 33 127

Congo 34 132

Kenya 35 133

Rwanda 36 138

Ethiopia 37 140

Namibia 38 143

Burundi 39 145

Guinea Bissau 40 150

Madagascar 41 152

Chad 42 154

Equatorial Guinea 42 154

Swaziland 44 172

Seychelles 45 175

Comoros Islands 46 182

Lesotho 47 185

Mauritius 48 188

Eritrea 49 189

Mauritania 50 190

Somalia 51 193

Djibouti 52 196

Notes

– Sao Tome e Principe not included because of inactivity

– Next rankings on Sept 21