Nigeria’s Super Eagles concluded 2024 as Africa’s fifth-best team in FIFA’s latest rankings, despite slipping eight places globally to 44th, MySportDab reports.
This marks a mixed year for the three-time African champions, who faced challenges in key fixtures but held their own against continental rivals like South Africa, Cameroon, and Ghana.
The team’s global ranking decline was largely attributed to underwhelming performances in the final rounds of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
A 1-1 draw against Benin Republic in Abidjan and a 2-1 home defeat to Rwanda left Nigeria with just one point from two matches, with Samuel Chukwueze’s stunning goal in the latter match proving to be a mere consolation.
Despite these setbacks, Nigeria retained their fifth spot in Africa, maintaining an edge over perennial rivals such as Cameroon and Ghana.
At this time last year, the Super Eagles were ranked 42nd globally and sixth in Africa, showcasing slight progress on the continental front.
Elsewhere, Morocco continued to dominate as Africa’s top-ranked team, finishing 14th globally. Senegal (17th), Egypt (33rd), and Algeria (37th) completed the top four, with Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Mali, Tunisia, and South Africa rounding out the top 10.
Globally, Argentina retained their top spot, followed by France, Spain, England, and Brazil, highlighting the dominance of football’s elite nations across 1,181 international matches played this year.
Looking ahead to 2025, the Super Eagles face the critical challenge of reigniting their form, with World Cup qualifiers set to resume in the first quarter. Fans will hope for a more consistent performance as Nigeria aims to climb both continental and global rankings.
