Chijioke Gabriel
Nigeria’s Super Eagles have dropped one spot in the latest FIFA World Rankings, slipping from 44th to 45th globally while maintaining sixth position on the African continent.
The new rankings, released on Thursday via FIFA’s official X handle, reflect the team’s continued struggles under head coach Eric Chelle amid a difficult 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign. This marks the second consecutive decline for the Nigerian side, who had earlier dropped from 43rd to 44th in August following a string of poor results.
Meanwhile, other African teams recorded significant progress. Morocco, the continent’s highest-ranked side, climbed to 11th in the world after winning eight of their last nine matches. Senegal, Egypt, Algeria and Côte d’Ivoire complete Africa’s top five ahead of Nigeria.
Elsewhere, Lesotho slipped to 153rd, while Benin Republic, Nigeria’s next opponent in the qualifiers, moved up to 93rd. South Africa’s Bafana Bafana, who held the Super Eagles to a 1-1 draw in June, rose to 55th, bolstering their World Cup qualification prospects. Zimbabwe suffered the biggest setback, dropping nine places to 125th position globally.
The Super Falcons of Nigeria, on the other hand, remain 36th in the women’s world rankings. Spain’s women’s national team replaced the United States at the top of the table.
The latest rankings highlight Nigeria’s struggle to regain form on the global stage even as key rivals across Africa continue to make strides.