Super Falcons Drop to 43rd in FIFA Women’s Rankings
Nigeria’s Super Falcons have dropped seven places to 43rd in the latest FIFA Women’s World Rankings released on 20 October 2026.
The nine-time African champions were ranked 36th in June and entered the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco as Africa’s highest-ranked team.
However, their disappointing performance at the tournament has affected their position, although they remain the highest-ranked women’s national team in Africa.
The Super Falcons started their WAFCON campaign with a 3-2 defeat to Malawi but bounced back with victories over Zambia and Egypt to qualify for the quarter-finals.
They defeated Zambia 1-0 and thrashed Egypt 6-2 before losing 1-0 to Cameroon in the quarter-finals.
It was the first time Nigeria had failed to reach the semi-finals of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Their problems continued in the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup play-off, where they lost 2-1 to South Africa, raising concerns about their chances of qualifying for the global tournament.
The latest ranking is the Super Falcons’ lowest position since August 2022, when they dropped from 39th to 46th under former head coach Randy Waldrum.
Elsewhere in Africa, South Africa dropped two places to 59th, while Cameroon climbed nine places to 62nd. Morocco are ranked 64th, Ghana 65th and Zambia 70th.
Despite their drop in the global rankings, the Super Falcons remain Africa’s number-one women’s national team.
