Nigeria have fallen five places in the latest FIFA men’s rankings for February, according to Sports Extra. The Super Eagles, who were ranked 35th in the world in the December release, slipped 14 points to 40th. This decline is largely attributed to their poor performance in the recent Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against low‑rated Guinea‑Bissau. Jose Peseiro’s side lost the first leg to the Wild Dogs at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja and managed only a 1‑0 win in Bissau in the second leg.
FIFA last announced the men’s ranking on 22 December 2022, with the Eagles finishing the year in 35th place after a one‑step drop. The new ranking system, called “SUM,” adds or subtracts points from a team’s previous total rather than averaging points over a set period. The adjustments depend partly on the relative strength of the opponents, reflecting the expectation that higher‑ranked teams should perform better against lower‑ranked ones. These match results have consequently affected the latest FIFA World Rankings.
Under the new system, Nigeria also slipped further within Africa, now occupying the sixth position. Morocco’s impressive run kept them at the top of the continent and 11th in the world. They are followed by Senegal, which moved up one place to 18th globally. Tunisia held its third‑best African spot and 28th world ranking, while Algeria overtook Egypt to claim fourth in Africa and rose six places to 34th worldwide. Egypt, previously 39th, climbed four spots to 35th globally and fifth in Africa. Nigeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Mali and Ghana complete the top ten in Africa.
In the global rankings, World Cup winners Argentina have reclaimed the top spot for the first time in six years. Lionel Scaloni’s side, fresh from their third world title after a dramatic final win over France in Qatar, secured victories against Panama and Curaçao during the March international break. Argentina displaced Brazil, which fell to third after a surprising friendly loss to World Cup semi‑finalists Morocco. France sit second after Euro 2024 qualification wins over the Netherlands and the Republic of Ireland. Belgium, England, the Netherlands, Croatia, Italy, Portugal and Spain round out the top ten.
Comments are closed for this story.