Nigeria’s Super Falcons have dropped one place in the latest FIFA Women’s World Rankings released on Thursday morning, slipping from 36th to 37th globally.
Despite the minor setback, the nine-time African champions remain firmly positioned as the continent’s top women’s national team.
South Africa maintained their status as Nigeria’s closest competitors in Africa, holding steady at 55th in the world. Ghana made one of the most notable gains among Africa’s elite, climbing five places to 62nd. Zambia sit 64th, while Morocco complete the continent’s top five at 66th.
One of the standout shifts in the latest rankings came from Burkina Faso. Although placed 15th in Africa, the Burkinabé team recorded the continent’s biggest rise—soaring 16 places from 134th to 118th in the world—an indication of their rapid improvement and promising performances in recent months.
FIFA’s updated ranking cycle reflects the increasing competitiveness of women’s football across the continent, with several national teams steadily reducing the gap behind Africa’s long-standing leaders, Nigeria.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey 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.
