Hearts of Oak players celebrating in the Ghana Premier League

The Ghana Premier League has been ranked sixth strongest league in Africa for 2012 by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics.

The 16-team league is also rated the 65th strongest league in the world.

Last year, Berekum Chelsea’s exploits in the CAF Champions League-where they made it to the Group stage-propelled him on the ranking.

The world ranking for the strongest national leagues is determined annually by the IFFHS on the basis of all national (championship, FA Cup) and (inter)continental (confederations & FIFA club competitions) results of the clubs.

The Sudanese Premier League emerged the strongest league in Africa after three clubs made it to the Group stage of the CAF Confederation Cup.

El Merreikh topped Group A and was followed by El Hilal in second place but El Ahly Shandy finished at the foot of the table in the same pool.

The Tunisian Ligue 1 is second strongest and 42nd in the annual world ranking followed by Mali, Morocco and Nigeria.

With no competition taking place in Egypt since January 2012, the country’s Premier League is ranked 91st in the world.

Top ten African Leagues:

35. (1) Sudan

42. (2) Tunisia

45. (3) Mali

56.(4) Morocco

60. (5) Nigeria

65. (6) Ghana

66. (7) Angola

67. (8) Zimbabwe

72. (9) Algeria

73. (10) Ivory Coast

* Africa ranking in brackets