Nigeria’s Super Eagles have dropped one place to 45th in the latest FIFA World Rankings, continuing a downward trend in a difficult World Cup qualifying campaign under coach Eric Chelle. The team, however, remains sixth on the African continent.
The new standings, released on Thursday via FIFA’s official X handle, mark a second consecutive slide for Nigeria, who fell from 43rd to 44th in August following a string of underwhelming results. Their latest drop comes as key African rivals continue to rise.
Morocco strengthened their position as the continent’s top-ranked side, sitting 11th globally after winning eight of their last nine matches.
Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, and Côte d’Ivoire complete Africa’s top five, all staying ahead of Nigeria in the continental pecking order.
Elsewhere, Benin Republic climbed to 93rd, while South Africa rose to 55th after holding the Eagles to a 1-1 draw in June.
Lesotho, Nigeria’s next opposition slipped to 153rd, and Zimbabwe endured the sharpest fall, tumbling nine places to 125th.
In the women’s rankings, the Super Falcons remain 36th, as Spain overtook the USA to claim top spot globally.
The figures highlight Nigeria’s struggles on both competitive and ranking fronts, as the team faces mounting pressure to rediscover consistency before their World Cup hope of qualifying is further tested.
