Nigeria’s Super Eagles has moved up to four places in the latest FIFA Ranking released on Thursday , Completesports.com reports.
Gernot Rohr’s men who climbed to 42nd position in the world are also now the third placed team in Africa.
The three-time African champions enjoyed a remarkable time during the recent international window with wins against the Pirates of Seychelles and the Pharaohs of Egypt.
The West Africans beat Seychelles in their final 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture 3-1 and defeated Egypt 1-0 in an international friendly match.
They trail the Terangha Lions of Senegal (23rd) and Carthage Eagles of Tunisia (28th) on the rankings in Africa.
Morocco, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana and Cameroon are some of the countries who made FIFA Ranking top 10 in Africa
The Red Devils of Belgium maintained top position in the world, with world champions France, Brazil, England and Croatia completing the list of top five teams in the world in the latest FIFA Ranking.
FIFA Rankkng: TOP TEN TEAMS IN AFRICA
1. Senegal
2. Tunisia
3. Nigeria
4. Morocco
5. Congo DR
6. Ghana
7. Cameroon
8. Egypt
9. Burkina Faso
10. Mali
By Adeboye Amosu
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COMMENTS
That’s why is good to take every match serious… Congratulations though
A remarkable achievement. Nigeria now sits in Africa’s top three going into AFCON.
Higher than the 4 finalists in the two AFCON tourneys that we missed in 2015 and 2017.
With the wind in our sails and players doing well in their clubs we are set for a good outing at AFCON.
All that remains now is selecting the right mix of players, tactics and match management during games.
As it is right now, there are probably 25 or 26 players who are shoo ins for the squad. Which two or three will have to be dropped from the final selection. That will be interesting to see. The bone to dangle before them will be certain pick for the under 23 qualifiers, AFCON under 23 tournament and Olympics next year if we qualify
Our next friendly should be either Tunisia or Senegal.
True but the team is rather looking for cheap friendlies against teams like Angola and Zimbabwe. When you loose or draw against this weak team that is why we find ourselves outside top 20.
The NFF rather are discussing with the Zimbabwean FA for a possible friendly in the next windows.
However,we don’t really need to play either Tunisia or Senegal to move up the ladder rather what we need to do is to win the AFCON to occupy top spot in Africa.
It doesn’t always go like that bro! Belgium isn’t current World Cup Champion. Leave FIFA ranking for the corrupt FIFA. nigerians don’t need their ranking. One day we will disgrace their high ranking teams on competitive games.
If you are ranked third and the first two had a bad tournament and the third ranked team won it,I don’t see how you won’t occupy top position,unless the winner was ranked outside the top five prior to the tournament that is why some winners do not move up to top spot.
I love u gy forget about FIFA ranking an try to beat bigger teams and you rank ur self period.
Rorh has improved this team. Hopefully we play Senegal or Tunisia during afvon.
Why is there silence from the camp that doubts about the flight fitness of the SE? Maybe they are overwhelmed by the feat of these team.
I dy tell u bro, I’m still waiting to read comments from people like Chima Samuels and his band….. Their data don finish? Abi no network for their area??? Lol…
BigD predicted this after our last two games, and it has come to pass.
Good omen for us. We are on the march to claim our place at the top.
For those of you that turn a blind eye to good things bcos of bad belle, this is yet another remarkable achievement of Mr rohr. So, my advice to you is, continue hating while he continues raising the bar. All u do is lie in wait for him to slip so that u can unleash ur evil venom against him but e no go work for Una. He ll continue shaming u with glaring results. Nice one, Mr Rohr,biko, we are getting there gradually. Their siaone is yet to get a job in a football academy in his village… Lol…
@Oakfield, please just enjoy the progress of the team and stop taunting other people. We have had enough fights and arguments in this forum!
Those criticizing Mr. Rohr do not hate Nigeria or the SE. They may have different opinions about how to move the SE forward, and may be harsh in their approach, but they are bonafide fans of the SE. And, by the way, there is no single person in this forum that is right all the time.
This victory is for those who agree with coach Rohr and those who don’t.
Thanks!
This news is expected to generate huge contributions from the usual noise makers but bcos of their dark minds towards the coach,they have mysterioulsy kept mute. This to a large extent shows how evil minded they are. I ain’t a war intigator but I’m just saying it as it is. If rohr were a blackman and they were white,some folks would easily brand them as racists.
Can any one think where we were one or two years ago in African rankings and where we are now in third position in the Continent which is a good omen and a clear demonstration of management skill by NFF and Rohr with less input from the ministry of sport in the Buhari Administration.
Let me say BRAVO to our most efficient NFF and Rohr.
My bro,it takes a good and grateful heart to appreciate good things…
While we celebrate the progress of the SE on FIFA index, let’s not forget to also put things in perspective and view it from the context of the overall world ranking, compared to the next higher-ranked African countries, Tunisia and Senegal.
My point? Yes, Senegal is Africa’s number 1 ranked team but they are a respectable 23rd overall. The next team, Tunisia is 28th best team in the world (5 steps gap from Senegal, which is close). And yes, Nigeria is number 3 in Africa, but what number overall on FIFA categorization? A distant 42 compared to the top 2 African teams! That is a whooping 19-teams gaps from number 1 in Africa. Even if we beat these top 2 African teams, we may still not overtake them!
The consequence is we’ll need do a lot before we can displace Tunisia and Senegal. Even if we make rapid progress and perhaps climb up to 30th in the world (and the top 2 African teams maintain their fine form), we’ll still remain 3rd in Africa! That’s the perspective I’m talking about.
Rohr, Musa, SE, Nigerian football fans, let’s keep soaring!! Bring the Egypt 2019 Afcon trophy home!!!
Kel, Senegal are definitely doing something well, however if you isolate just last 12 months only, Nigeria and Senegal are actually neck-to-neck.
Looking at the FIFA rankings comparatively for the past 12 months for Senegal, Tunisia and Nigeria, you will see that Tunisia are the only ones that have regressed; Senegal and Nigeria have made improvements both at an equal rate.
Assuming all 3 teams had 0 points in April last year, Nigeria and Senegal would each have 5 points by now while Tunisia will have -14.
This is because, this time last year, Senegal were at 28 position while Nigeria were 47. Both teams have now moved up by 5 positions each (23 and 42 respectively).
Tunisia, on their part, were 14 position this time last year but now sit at 28 position; 14 places deficit from last year!
Tunisia may be ahead of us in the rankings but they have lost a lot of grounds while we have gained grounds.
Senegal however show no signs of slowing down ; they are one to be weary of!
Well, that’s a nice insight. Another interesting perspective. Good maths. Senegal are certainly a firm favorite for the Afcon crown this year, along with Nigeria. I support Liverpool in the EPL, but I dread SE facing Mane & company in Egypt.
Bro, Senegal vs Nigeria would be a tough call, Remember Afcon 2013,,the attacking midfield position and our goalkeepers are my major concerns.How I wish we could add Dennis and Chukwueze to the roster.
By the way I’m one of Rohr critics, but this’s a step in the right direction, Hopefully this will be a moral booster to our players.
What a good achievement by d NFF, Mr Rohr and d players. pls I think everybody should at least celebrate this instead of complaining. This latest ranking would be a morale boost and it will make d super eagles to be aware of not forgetting that all d countries that qualify are not left over. I believe d team will continue to improve in our weak areas(no team is completely perfect), bravo once again to d players, NFF and d coach.
Oakfield and Achi kindly respect yourselves and stop calling names here. This is sports forum and not your sitting room where you call names by heart people that don’t even know you.
@Barthez
Have you taken ogogoro? Did I call names in my post? Or do you think I’m afraid of calling the names of diehard antagonists of Rohr and some targeted players? The other one has been mentioned; Omo9ja is one of them. The question is: why are they keeping quiet, now that the SE is soaring to the sky? All we are saying is that the coach and the boys should be commended and encouraged. No one is perfect. Surely if you join the camp of these unappreciative fans, we will mention your name next time. But I know you won’t.
God bless.
Sunnyb. Dennis and Chukwueze for now will continue to progress with the FlyingEagles and DreamTeam. After which they will be integral part of the SuperEagles going to 2022. We have an ascending progression of top class talents to choose from going forward. For now I think the SuperEagles is already in shape for this AFCON.
I think it would be nice to ve one of them in the roster, bro I’m not convinced yet about Iwobi playing against these rough, strong,reckless African defenders.
SunnyB, the same Iwobi has scored two (crucial) goals against these same swashbucklingly rugged African teams in world cup qualifiers.
My only concern (as I discussed with Ayphilly sometime ago) was that I am not convinced that we can rely on Iwobi to be the key number 10 for Nigeria.
Earlier in the season, I said that although he can be ‘drafted’ to that position in the absence of any other credible Centre Attacking Midfielder, Iwobi’s best position remains right or left midfield (IMHO).
I can now see that after a number of matches, Ayphilly is starting to agree with me on this.
We are still yearning for a centre midfielder whose natural orientation should be to operate from the middle.
This player does not have to be world class! My starting-point requirements for that role are:
1) natural orientation to operate from the middle.
2) Ball retention.
3) Standard distribution (at times) from a simple sedentary position.
After the Afcon, I think it will be helpful to look at the direction of Raymon Azeez or someone with similar orientation, positioning and/or capabilities; as a long term solution.
Good morning all,can I ever get tired of this forum?answer no.I get refreshed any time I read ur comments here cos it’s insightful.
Going forward I will like us to keep learning here and never stop learning.This morning i like every one of us to learn from the analysis of KEL& DEO.This two have won my heart today and must be commended.I keep saying that no one shuts anyone out from having a say but pls have a say with conscious and due regards to the right of others.Did u read the analysis of Kel and how Deo respectfully gave a slightly different analysis yet reaching for the same goal?Even if u want to criticise someone do it with reason.If you say I have failed pls don’t tell me iam a failure I will never listen to u and will forever disregard you.But when you tell me man,you did not do well for the following reasons and finally state recommendations on how I can improve then you are my hero.
Criticism is not condemnation,it is telling somebody this is the reasons u failed the way u did.As you can see in the topic of this morning that no one is saying Fifa is stupid for making the ranking look the way it is,instead what we can see is analysis as to what possibly could be responsible for the way Fifa runs it’s ranking rules.Thank you guys for making ma day.
Finally on Iwobi vis-a-viz the no,10 role.It must be said from outset that Iwobi is modern and Hi-tech playmaker.You may call him 10,but I choose to call him a playmaker.Iwobi will not make an attempt to dribble except he finds himself in a tight corner.He simply makes the team move,he has the “keep playing attitude kind of playmaker” who gets the ball and then passes to the best possible option.Check the Libya game in Uyo,the South Africa game,The Libya game away then we should be convinced that we will be doing a great disservice to the SE should we remove Iwobi from that position.
IWOBI’S LIMITATIONS-just as we took the final qualifiers against Sichels and Egypt friendlies to the substandard Sapele stadium the same way we will kill our football stars cos of sentiment and bad decision making.It is unfair to make a player like Iwobi play on such turf when his counter pact plays in a lush green grass of Wembley stadium. We cannot simply expect him to perform on such occation it’s not possible.
Again,the rest of the team should learn to play with Iwobi,they need to understand him and learn every of his moves just like Kolasinac does.I remember in the match against Egypt where Iwobi gave the ball to I think Colins in between two players and he expected a return from the other side he waited in vain,otherwise that move would have led to a goal,a move started by Iwobi.
Finally,our Coach needs to understand some special players and teach the rest of the team to play with them.The Villareal Coach did this against Baca where he identified Eze as the man that can do havoc to Baca and he directed the entire team to play with him,the reason he got plenty of the balls on the day and he never disappointed.Iwobi is a fine player fit for the 10 role but will play better on a smooth surface and around a team with sound understanding.
@Deo, bro you right I should ve said that, i think we need another skillful playmaker that can deputized for Iwobi, trust me bro this Afcon would be tough, all the good teams in Africa qualified, we need two solid options in all positions.
Bro Sunny, thank you. I really like what you said: “trust me bro this Afcon would be tough, all the good teams in Africa qualified” End of quote.
Reminds me of what a colleague of mine once said; he said ‘you have to be in it to win it’.
We are in it and trust me, we can win it.
(I am not saying we will; but we definitely can)
At the end of the day. Other factors will come into play and it largely depends whether those factors work in our favor or not.
Rohr has done creditably well with team but he needs to improve on his changes decision and tactics… Eagles goalkeeping department needs a lot of work…
cental midfield is a major issue as iwboi is good and effective on the left sided midfield.
Wish them all the best in Afcon. hopefully we can win if the players play as a team.
Congratulation super eagle. u really made us (nigerian fans) proud despite with a coward and ineffective coach. like @Asoko said they need to understand iwobi. like i said that primary school field will destroy iwobi.