By Dayo Awoniyi
Nigeria’s Super Eagles have climbed back into FIFA’s top 50 national teams, ranking 44th in the world and 5th in Africa in the latest global rankings released for July.
With 1,484.26 ranking points, the three-time African champions have improved their international standing, edging ahead of reigning Africa Cup of Nations holders Ivory Coast, who now sit 6th on the continental chart.
Africa’s top five is currently led by Morocco, followed by Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, and Nigeria. Completing Africa’s top 10 are Tunisia, Cameroon, Mali, and South Africa.
The rankings come as Nigeria prepares for the next phase of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, which resume in September.
The Super Eagles are hoping to continue their rise under new management and regain a firm foothold among the world’s footballing powerhouses.
FIFA is expected to release the next update to its rankings on September 18, 2025.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
