By Nurudeen Obalola
The Super Eagles have gained one spot in the latest FIFA world ranking released on Thursday.
The Nigerians climbed from 44th to 43rd despite their damaging 1-1 draw at home with Zimbabwe in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying fixture in March.
The three-time African champions played two matches during the March FIFA World Cup qualifiers window, beating Rwanda 2-0 in Kigali before the draw in Uyo that further dented their frail hopes of earning a ticket.
The Super Eagles however dropped a ranking point, going from the 1482 they had at the last release in December to 1481.
Meanwhile, Nigeria have dropped out of the African top five, their place taken by Cote d’Ivoire.
The Super Eagles are now sixth on the continent, with Morocco holding on to top spot (12th in the world), followed by Senegal (19th), Egypt (32nd), Algeria (33rd) and Cote d’Ivoire (41st).
Zimbabwe gained massively from holding the Super Eagles to a draw, rising five places globally to 116th and gaining nine ranking points.
In the global ranking, Argentina retain top spot, with Spain, France, England and Brazil completing the top five.
The sixth to 10th positions are occupied by the Netherlands, Portugal, Belgium, Italy and Germany.
According to FIFA, a total of 245 international matches have been played globally since the December 2024 edition of the ranking.
