Nigeria drop five places on FIFA Rankings after Guinea Bissau defeat

By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde

Nigeria’s senior men’s national team dropped five places on the latest FIFA Ranking released on Thursday, April 6, 2023.

The first FIFA ranking for the year saw the Super Eagles drop five places from 35th to 40th position and sixth in Africa. The drop can be attributed to the team’s 1-0 home loss to Guineans in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Jose Peseiro’s side redeemed itself away with a 1-0 win over the same opposition but the deed had been done in Abuja leading to the latest drop in the global ranking.

Morocco’s World Cup semi-final feat, the first by an African side is yielding fruits as the Atlas Lions occupy the 11th position in the world and first in Africa, maintaining its position as of the December 2022 ranking.

Reigning African champions, Senegal moved a place to the 18th position in the world and second in Africa while Tunisia also moved two places to the 28th position in the world and third in Africa.

Algeria (34), Egypt (35), Cameroon (42), Ivory Coast (45), Burkina Faso (50), and Mali (53) complete Africa’s top ten ranked national teams.

All top ten teams in Africa made either upward or downward movement on the ranking except Morocco and Burkina holding their 11th and 50th positions respectively.