6th August, 2015
Taiwo Adelu
Nigeria, this month, gained four places in the latest FIFA rankings, moving from number 57 in July’s rating to 53rd in August’s ranking.
According to the rankings released early Thursday by the world football governing body, FIFA, the Super Eagles are still 10th on Africa’s ranking with Algeria (19th in the world) still maintaining their number one spot followed by Ivory Coast (21st), Ghana (27th), Tunisia (34), Senegal (39th), Cameroon (42nd), Congo (43rd), Cape Verde Islands (50th), and Egypt (52nd).
With this ranking, expectation is that the coming of new coach for the Super Eagles, Sunday Oliseh, will bring the impetus necessary to power the country back up the ladder in the next few months as the team prepare for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, qualifier against Tanzania in an away match next month.
Meanwhile, fifa.com reports that the August edition of the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Rankings show a change in the top three, with Belgium (2nd, up 1) swapping places with Germany (3rd, down 1) behind leaders Argentina.
A little below them, Chile (10th, up 1) have entered the top ten at the expense of the Netherlands (12th, down 7). The loss of points by Germany and the Netherlands is due to the down grading of last year’s FIFA World Cup matches.
Further down the global ladder, the CONCACAF Gold Cup finalists have made good ground: Mexico (26th, up 14), winners of the trophy for the tenth time, have risen 14 places, while this year’s surprise package, Jamaica (55th, up 21), are now just outside the top 50 following a sizeable 21-spot leap.
Other teams are: Albania (22nd, up 14), Malawi (98th, up 10), Sierra Leone (104th, up 7), Mauritania (113th, up 15), Swaziland (132nd, up 6), Guam (146th, up 8) and Guyana (152nd, up 7) all went up by more than five places in August.
The following teams have achieved their highest-ever position: Wales (9th, up 1), Austria (14th, up 1), Slovakia (14th, up 1), Albania (22nd, up 14), Congo (43rd, up 4) and Guam (146th, up 8).