FIFA rankings: Nigeria fall, but remain ahead of South Africa, Ghana

Nigeria’s Super Falcons have slipped one place to 37th in the latest FIFA Women’s World Ranking released on Thursday, ending their six-ranking stay in 36th position.

Yet despite the slight drop, the 10-time African champions remain firmly seated as the continent’s No.1 team, still leading South Africa, Ghana, Zambia, and Morocco in the African top five.

The Falcons’ slide comes after a quiet international window, where they featured only in their WAFCON qualifiers against Benin Republic, a 2-0 win away followed by a 1-1 draw in Abeokuta.

Those results booked their ticket to the 2026 WAFCON but did little to boost their global standing, especially as they were inactive while their closest African rivals took full advantage of the November–December window.

South Africa, Ghana, Morocco, and Zambia all participated in friendlies or competitive fixtures, accumulating crucial ranking points while Nigeria watched from home.

The inactivity tightened the gap, but the Falcons still comfortably lead the continent with South Africa sitting 55th and Ghana rising to 62nd after an impressive WAFCON campaign and a spirited showing against England.

Zambia moved up to 64th and Morocco followed closely at 66th, making the African top five increasingly competitive.

Ghana’s rise, fuelled by their third-place finish at the 2024 WAFCON and improved performances, was the most notable movement across Africa, while South Africa boosted their momentum with a convincing 2-0 win over Morocco.

Zambia also worked their way upward after a draw with Malawi and a victory against Zimbabwe. Meanwhile, global supremacy remains firmly in the hands of Spain, the United States, Germany, England, and Sweden.

Brazil climbed to sixth, France dropped to seventh, and Japan, DPR Korea, and Canada rounded out the top ten.