Former winners Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Zambia lose at home.
Lazio win at Roma as Diao scores twice.
Senegal's Keita Balde Diao hits a hat-trick in five minutes.
Liberia in freefall in latest Fifa rankings
Ahmad won 34 of the 54 votes in the election.
Hosts Zambia turned on the style to lift the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations.
Sadio Mane lifted Liverpool's recent gloom by scoring twice.
Cameroon climb 29 places in Fifa rankings.
Day 13 - 26th match - 28 January 2017 - Cameroon reach semi-finals
Day 10 - 19th match - Algeria exit without a win
Senegal
AFRICA CUP 2015
Nations Cup appearances: 12
Best result: Runners-up (2002)
Coach: Alain Giresse (France)
Key players: Mohamed Diame, Papiss Cisse, Mame Biram Diouf
Fifa ranking: 35
Senegal's recent record at the finals is not good - they have won only one of their last nine matches.
Their last victory came in 2006, against Guinea in the quarter-finals.
However, they conceded just one goal in qualification for this tournament.