Despite losing to Cote d’Ivoire in the final of the just concluded Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Nigeria has moved up 14 places to 28th in the world and third in Africa in the latest FIFA ranking released on Thursday.
Argentina retained the top position, followed by France and England in second and third, respectively. The top 10 rankings saw no changes, with Belgium, Brazil, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Croatia maintaining their positions.
The just concluded continental tournaments saw countries like Nigeria and nations under the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) make significant moves in the rankings.
Côte d’Ivoire moved up 10 spots to 39th, while Angola, which lost to Nigeria in the AFCON quarter-finals, jumped 24 places to 93rd. Qatar, which defended its Asian Cup, made some of the biggest strides.
Other impressive performers include Equatorial Guinea, South Africa, Cabo Verde, Namibia, and Mali. The next edition of the FIFA/Coca-Cola Men’s World Ranking will be published on April 4.
