Nigeria’s Super Falcons have dropped seven places to 43rd in the latest FIFA Women’s World Rankings following a disappointing run of results that saw the 10-time African champions suffer major setbacks at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) and miss out on qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The Nigerian women’s national team fell from 36th position in the previous ranking released in June, despite retaining their status as Africa’s highest-ranked women’s team.
The latest decline reflects a difficult period for the Falcons, who lost 83.54 ranking points after a series of disappointing results, including their quarter-final elimination at WAFCON in Morocco and a subsequent defeat to South Africa in the World Cup qualification play-offs.
Nigeria began their WAFCON campaign with a surprising 3-2 defeat to Malawi before recovering with a 1-0 victory over Zambia and a convincing 6-2 win against Egypt to advance to the quarter-finals.
However, their hopes of reaching the semi-finals were ended by Cameroon, who secured a narrow 1-0 victory on August 9. The defeat marked the first time Nigeria had failed to reach the semi-final stage of the continental competition, highlighting the challenges facing a team accustomed to dominating African women’s football.
The disappointment continued on August 13 when the Falcons faced South Africa in a play-off for qualification for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
South Africa secured a 2-1 victory in Casablanca, with Thembi Kgatlana and Refiloe Jane finding the net before Nigeria’s Christy Ucheibe scored a late penalty.
The result ended Nigeria’s remarkable record of qualifying for every edition of the Women’s World Cup since the competition began in 1991. The Falcons will consequently miss the 2027 tournament, marking a significant setback for one of Africa’s most successful national teams.
Despite their decline in the global rankings, Nigeria remain ahead of their continental rivals. South Africa, Cameroon, Morocco and Ghana occupy the next positions among Africa’s highest-ranked women’s national teams, underlining the growing competition within the continent.
Cameroon, meanwhile, climbed nine places to 62nd following their triumph at WAFCON, while South Africa, Morocco and Ghana occupy 59th, 64th and 65th positions respectively, according to the latest ranking update.
There was also encouraging news for the Falcons in their pursuit of qualification for the 2028 Olympic Games. Nigeria recorded two victories over Comoros in the qualifying rounds, securing a 7-0 aggregate victory to advance to the next stage of the campaign.
However, those results were not enough to prevent the team’s overall ranking decline following their earlier setbacks.
At the global level, Spain retained first place in the FIFA Women’s World Rankings, ahead of the United States, Germany, England and Japan. The top five positions remained unchanged in the latest update.
For Nigeria, the fall to 43rd represents more than a numerical decline. It places renewed attention on the team’s need for consistency, particularly in decisive matches against increasingly competitive African opponents.
Although the Super Falcons remain the continent’s highest-ranked women’s team, their recent results demonstrate that their historical achievements alone cannot guarantee continued success.
The team will now look to rebuild momentum through improved performances in upcoming international competitions, with the next FIFA Women’s World Rankings scheduled for release on December 7, 2026.
