World football’s governing body FIFA has released its rankings of the world’s national football teams for the month of February. The list, which was published on Thursday, has Nigeria in 41st place, a position the country achieved by moving up nine places from last month’s rankings.
The Super Eagles recorded the significant improvement in their ranking despite their absence from the 2017 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations recently held in Gabon. A strong showing from the national football team at the world cup qualifiers had been responsible for the country’s upward movement in the rankings in recent times.
Nigeria retained its place as Africa’s seventh highest ranked football team, again apparently unaffected by its non-participation at the Africa Cup of Nations. However, Cameroun’s victory at the competition caused it to surge a staggering 29 places in the world rankings; it now occupies the 31st spot globally and is placed 3rd in Africa, behind Egypt (in first place) and Senegal (in second).
On the world stage, Argentina, Brazil and Germany retained the first, second and third positions respectively.