Nigeria’s Super Falcons have maintained their position as Africa’s top-ranked women’s football team, holding firm at 36th place in the latest FIFA Women’s World Rankings released on Thursday.
The nine-time African champions remained unmoved despite their inactivity since December, as their continental rivals experienced ranking shifts.
Reigning Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) champions, South Africa, retained their second-place ranking in Africa but dropped four spots globally to 54th. Morocco holds the third spot in Africa and is ranked 60th in the world, while Zambia slid two places to 64th but remains the fourth-best team on the continent.
2024 WAFCON on the Horizon
The latest FIFA rankings arrive just months before the highly anticipated 2024 WAFCON tournament, set to take place from July 25 to 26 in Morocco. The Super Falcons, eager to reclaim continental dominance, will be gunning for a record-extending 10th title after finishing fourth in the last edition held in 2022.
Challengers like South Africa, Morocco, and Zambia will be keen to disrupt Nigeria’s quest for another championship victory.
Global Rankings: USA on Top, Spain in Second
On the global stage, the United States continues to lead the rankings, followed by reigning world champions Spain. Germany and England secured third and fourth places, respectively, while Japan climbed to fifth, pushing Sweden down to sixth.
Kenya made one of the most significant improvements on the continent, jumping seven places to 142nd, while Tunisia suffered the steepest drop, falling 11 spots to 89th after losing 43.79 points. Djibouti achieved its highest-ever ranking, reaching 195th place.
The next FIFA Women’s World Ranking update is scheduled for June 12, giving the Super Falcons an opportunity to climb higher ahead of WAFCON 2024.