Nigeria: Eguavoen’s Super Eagles climb above AFCON winners Cote d’Ivoire & Tunisia in latest FIFA rankings

Nigeria’s Super Eagles have moved up three places in the latest FIFA men’s world rankings, climbing from 39th to 36th position, Soccernet.ng reports.

Released on Thursday, October 24, the rankings were published on FIFA’s official website, reflecting Nigeria’s resurgence under interim coach Augustine Eguavoen.

In Africa, the Super Eagles also made strides, jumping from sixth to fourth place, now trailing only Morocco (13th globally), Senegal (20th), and Egypt (30th).

This rise sees Nigeria climb above 2023 Africa Cup of Nations winner Cote d’Ivoire and Tunisia who both drop out of the continent’s too five.

Benin Republic, who will host Nigeria in their upcoming AFCON 2025 qualifiers, slipped to 95th in the rankings, while Rwanda, another opponent in the qualifiers, climbed to 126th.

Meanwhile, Libya, also in the same qualifying group, dropped to 122nd position.

Eguavoen’s return to the helm has brought stability and improved results, helping the Super Eagles regain momentum.

His leadership has been instrumental in Nigeria’s upward trajectory in the rankings, especially as traditional African football powerhouses Ghana and South Africa continue to struggle.

Ghana dropped to 73rd, while South Africa now sit in 60th position.

Elsewhere, Algeria improved by four spots to 37th right behind Nigeria, and Cameroon moved up to 49th.

Smaller African nations also made significant gains, with Botswana climbing seven places to 140th, and both Comoros and Sudan surging 10 spots to 108th and 110th, respectively.

Globally, Argentina retained their top spot, followed by France in second and Spain in third, with other familiar footballing nations maintaining their positions in the top 10.