Nigeria’s mixed results over the October international break have cost the Super Eagles dearly in the latest FIFA rankings, with the team dropping out of the continent’s top five for the first time in a while.
FIFA’s October rankings, released Wednesday, dropped Nigeria four places from 26th to 30th in the world, with the team’s points total falling from 1,585.02 to 1,567.97.
The slide pushed the Super Eagles down to sixth in Africa, behind Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Algeria and Côte d’Ivoire the first time in recent memory Nigeria has slipped outside the continent’s top five. FIFA’s model weighs the Guinea-Bissau defeat heavily given the opponent and the margin.
Losing ground to Algeria and Côte d’Ivoire specifically will sting, given both sides are direct rivals for continental bragging rights and potential tournament seeding down the line.
Rankings points don’t win AFCON qualifiers, but they do matter in future World Cup qualifying draws, and Nigeria’s slide comes at an awkward time given the team is already fighting to keep pace with Guinea-Bissau at the top of their qualifying group.
Mali and South Africa both jumped six places in the same update, a reminder that the rest of the continent isn’t standing still while Nigeria works through growing pains under Chelle.
The next FIFA ranking update lands on November 18, after Nigeria’s home-and-away double-header against Tanzania results that will matter far more for the Super Eagles’ AFCON qualifying hopes than for their ranking position, but a strong November would at least start to claw back some of this month’s losses.
