Nigeria’s Super Falcons have dropped seven places to 43rd in the latest FIFA Women’s World Rankings, falling from 36th.
Despite the slide, the 10-time African champions remain the highest-ranked women’s team on the continent. South Africa, Morocco, Ghana and Zambia occupy the second to fifth positions in Africa respectively.
The fall follows a disastrous run at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. The Falcons lost their opening match 3-2 to Malawi, beat Zambia 1-0 and thrashed Egypt 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals.
They then lost 1-0 to Cameroon on August 9 and were eliminated at the quarter-final stage.
The result ended Nigeria’s hopes of automatic qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. It was also the first time the Falcons had failed to reach the semi-finals of the tournament.
Nigeria then lost 2-1 to South Africa in a play-off in Casablanca on August 13. Thembi Kgatlana and Refiloe Jane scored for South Africa before substitute Christy Ucheibe pulled one back from the penalty spot in stoppage time.
The defeat means Nigeria will miss the Women’s World Cup for the first time since the inaugural edition in 1991.
There was some positive news in the Falcons’ bid to qualify for the 2028 Olympic Games, where they recorded two victories over Comoros in the qualifying rounds.
The next edition of the FIFA Women’s World Rankings will be released on December 7, 2026.
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