Super-Eagles

Taiwo Adelu.

Nigeria’s Super Eagles take a leap to number 53rd in the latest FIFA Ranking released early Thursday. The country’s senior national team gain four places moving from number 57th in July’s rating to 53rd in August’s ranking.

According to the ranking released by the world football governing body, FIFA, the Super Eagles are still 10th on Africa’s ranking with Algeria (19th in the world) still maintain their number one spot followed by Ivory Coast (21st), Ghana (27th), Tunisia (34), Senegal (39th), Cameroon (42nd), Congo (43rd), Cape Verde Islands (50th), Egypt (52nd) in that order.

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 in September.

Meanwhile, fifa.com reports that the August edition of the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking shows 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 devaluation 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.

In addition to the above teams, Albania (22nd, up 14), Malawi (98th, up 10), Sierra Leone (104th, up 7), Mauritania (113rd, 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).