By Milcah Tanimu

The Super Falcons of Nigeria have made an impressive climb in the FIFA rankings for women’s national teams, now securing the 32nd position globally, as per the latest release.

The most recent FIFA Women’s rankings, published on August 25, are the first after the conclusion of the 2023 Women’s World Cup co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

Thanks to the Super Falcons’ performance in the tournament, which saw them advance to the round of 16 by defeating co-hosts Australia and drawing with Canada and the Republic of Ireland, the team has ascended eight spots from their previous 40th position.

The Super Falcons garnered an additional 94 points, resulting in a total of 1649 points, propelling them to the 32nd rank worldwide while maintaining their position as the top team in Africa.

South Africa, who also had a commendable showing at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, having previously won the African Women’s Nations Cup, have moved up to the 45th place globally and second in Africa.

Other prominent African women’s teams in the top five on the continent include Cameroon in third place with 1445 points and a global rank of 56th. Morocco and Ghana secure the 4th and 5th spots in Africa, and are placed 58th and 59th in the world, respectively.

Despite reigning as the current world champions, Spain now holds the second rank globally, having secured their first-ever world title against England.

Sweden, victors over Australia in the third-place match of the tournament, have advanced from third to first in the latest FIFA rankings.

Despite their less-than-stellar performance in the World Cup, the United States still holds the third-best position globally. World Cup finalists England hold the fourth spot, while France completes the top five in the global ranking.