Despite clinching a record-extending 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title in Morocco, Nigeria’s Super Falcons have remained unmoved at 36th in the latest FIFA/Coca-Cola Women’s World Ranking, released on Thursday, 7 August.
The unchanged global standing comes even after a month of significant achievement and rising acclaim for the Nigerian women’s national team.
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Following their dramatic WAFCON triumph — which saw them avenge past defeats to Zambia, South Africa, and Morocco — many had expected a climb up the global ladder.
However, the Falcons’ 1630.83 points were not enough to break into the top 30 or surpass their highest-ever FIFA ranking of 25th, which was last achieved over two decades ago.
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Still, Nigeria maintains its position as Africa’s top-ranked women’s team, ahead of South Africa (54th), Morocco (64th), and Zambia (65th).
The latest figures reinforce Nigeria’s longstanding continental dominance, even as the gap between them and other African teams continues to narrow.
Global shake-up, but Nigeria stays steady
This August update marked one of the most turbulent for women’s football rankings in recent years. Spain reclaimed the number one spot from the USA after a stellar UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 campaign, while France climbed four places into sixth following an impressive group-stage showing.
Bangladesh was the biggest mover globally, soaring 24 places to 104th thanks to its historic qualification run in the AFC Women’s World Cup qualifiers.
Meanwhile, despite defending their South American crown, Brazil fell three spots to seventh, highlighting the increasingly competitive nature of the women’s game worldwide.
READ ALSO: ITTF World Rankings: Aruna reclaims top spot in Africa, Matthew Kuti breaks through as Nigeria’s No. 2
Falcons’ regional grip not enough
While the Super Falcons continue to fly high on the African stage, their global ranking has seen only modest shifts over the last decade. They’ve hovered steadily inside the top 40, peaking recently at 32nd in 2023 and dropping as low as 45th in 2022.
With 12 consecutive years as Africa’s number one women’s team, Nigeria’s consistency is unmatched on the continent. However, to rejoin the world’s elite, greater competition against higher-ranked teams and consistent wins outside of Africa may be required.
The next FIFA/Coca-Cola Women’s World Ranking update is scheduled for 11 December 2025.
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