Super Eagles Soar To 28th In Latest FIFA Ranking

The Super Eagles of Nigeria, fresh off their runner-up finish at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), have ascended 14 spots to 28th in the world in the February FIFA rankings.

This significant leap, as revealed on the official website of the world football governing body on Thursday, sees the team amassing 1,522 points, a notable increase from the 1,474 points recorded in December 2023.

This remarkable rise positions the Super Eagles as the third-highest-ranked team on the African continent, trailing behind Morocco and Senegal, who occupy the 12th and 17th spots globally with 1663 and 1620 points, respectively.

Meanwhile, the newly-crowned African champions, Cote d’Ivoire, have also seen their fortunes rise, climbing 10 spots to 39th place in recognition of their victorious campaign on home soil.

The AFCON tournament significantly changed the FIFA rankings, with South Africa, the second runners-up, ascending 8 places to 58th.

Conversely, Egypt (36th), Cameroon (51st), and Ghana (67th) experienced declines following their early exits from the competition.

Angola emerged as the biggest climber, advancing 24 places to 93rd after reaching the last eight.

On the global stage, Qatar, the two-time Asian Cup winners, recorded the most substantial points gain, moving up 21 places to 37th after successfully defending their title on home ground.

Jordan and Thailand also made notable progress, with Jordan climbing 17 spots to 70th after a narrow miss in the final and Thailand moving up 12 places to 101st following their last-16 finish.

Senegal and Tajikistan achieved milestone rankings, with Senegal reaching its highest-ever position at 17th after a heartbreaking Round of 16 exit at AFCON and Tajikistan entering the top 100 for the first time at 99th, marking their debut Asian Cup appearance.

Other countries, such as Equatorial Guinea, Cabo Verde, Namibia, and Mali, have also seen significant improvements in their FIFA standings.