FIFA Rankings: Nigeria moves up fourteen places despite losing AFCON 2023 final

Nigeria went six games unbeaten at the AFCON 2023 tournament, before losing in the final to the hosts, Ivory Coast at the Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara.

The Super Eagles of Nigeria have moved up fourteen places in the latest FIFA rankings after their outing in Ivory Coast, Soccernet.ng reports.

The Nigerian team scored eight goals and conceded four goals in Ivory Coast, keeping four clean sheets in the process, but couldn’t find the cutting edge in the AFCON 2023 final under the tutelage of Portuguese tactician, Jose Peseiro.

Despite their loss, their display in Ivory Coast has seen them shot up in the latest FIFA rankings, and are also the most improved African team on the table.

Previously ranked 42, Nigeria moved up fourteen places and are now 28, and third in Africa, just behind Morocco and Senegal who occupy 12th and 17th places respectively.

AFCON 2023 winners, Ivory Coast, moved up ten places, and are fifth in Africa and occupy 39th place in the world, just behind Mohammed Salah’s Egypt who occupy the 36th position.

The first #FIFARanking of 2024 is here! 👊#FIFAWorldCup

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) February 15, 2024

AFCON 2023 bronze medallists, South Africa moved from 66 to 58 in the rankings, and Asian Cup winners, Qatar, move up twenty-one places to hold the 37th place.

The top ten remain unchanged, with FIFA 2022 World Cup winners occupying the top spot, closely followed by the FIFA 2018 World Cup winners, France.

England, Belgium, Brazil, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Italy and Croatia make up the list for the top ten ranked nations in the world.

Nigeria return to the 28th position, their highest since they won the AFCON tournament in 2013.