By Akinwale Kasali
Despite recording a 6-0 win over the Falcons and Parrots of São Tomé and Principe in its 2024 African Cup of Nations qualifiers at the Godswill Obot Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, this has not translated into a leap for the Super Eagles of Nigeria in the latest FIFA Ranking.
The three-time AFCON winners have dropped in the latest FIFA Ranking by One spot to 40th position as against its 39 Position it has maintained over the past month.
With the drop, the Super Eagles is now Sixth in Africa behind Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia, Egypt and Algeria.
Expectedly, Morocco who finished as semifinalist at the last World Cup in Qatar continued to maintain her top spot in the continent and 14th globally.
Cameroon, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso make up the other countries in the Top 10 in Africa.
Argentina’s 1-0 triumph over Ecuador and a 3-0 defeat of Bolivia in the CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers strengthened the Albiceleste hold at the top. France is second while Brazil, England and Belgium make up the Top 5.
Croatia (6th), the Netherlands (7th) and Portugal (8th), Italy (9th) and Spain complete the Top 10 teams for the month of September.
Meanwhile, Super Eagles now face the prospect of facing defending champions Senegal, hosts Cote d’Ivoire, Morocco, Algeria and Egypt in the group stage of AFCON 2024.
Eagles are joined in Pot 2 by perennial rivals, Ghana and Cameroon.
Mali, Democratic Republic of Congo and Burkina Faso are the other teams in Pot 2. In Pot 3 are; South Africa, Cape Verde, Guinea, Zambia, Equatorial Guinea and Mauritania while Pot 4 has Guinea Bissau, Namibia, Mozambique, Angola, Gambia and Tanzania.
The draw for the AFCON 2023 will be staged in Côte d’Ivoire on Thursday October 12. The competition proper is to run from January 13 to February 11, 2024 to decide the next champion league of the continental showpiece.
