Super Eagles of Nigeria have experienced a significant drop in FIFA’s latest world rankings, falling eight places from 36th to 44th.
Gatekeepers News reports that this decline is notable as it also places Nigeria as the fifth-best team in Africa, down one position.
The recent rankings, released on Thursday by FIFA, indicate that Nigeria is among the three countries facing the largest decline, alongside Congo Brazzaville and Sierra Leone. This drop follows a disappointing conclusion to their final matches in the qualifiers for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Notably, Nigeria had already secured qualification for AFCON even before their match against Benin Republic, thanks to Rwanda’s victory over Libya. However, the Super Eagles struggled in their performance, managing only a late 1-1 draw against the Beninese team led by Gernot Rohr. Additionally, Nigeria faced a setback with a loss to Rwanda at home in the Godswill Akpabio Stadium just four days later.
In the African rankings, Morocco and Senegal continue to hold the top positions, with Egypt in third and Algeria moving up to fourth. Globally, Argentina remains in the number one spot, followed by France and Spain in second and third places. England and Brazil round out the top five.
The next FIFA World Ranking is scheduled for release on December 19, 2024.
