Nigeria’s Super Falcons have dropped seven places to 43rd in the latest FIFA Women’s World Rankings, falling from 36th position following a disappointing campaign at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco.
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Despite the global decline, the 10-time African champions maintain their status as the continent’s top-ranked women’s team. South Africa, Morocco, Ghana, and Zambia follow in second through fifth positions in Africa, respectively.
The ranking drop follows an inconsistent tournament performance. The Falcons opened their WAFCON group stage with a 3–2 defeat to Malawi before bouncing back to secure victories over Zambia (1–0) and Egypt (6–2) to reach the knockout stage. However, a 1–0 quarter-final loss to Cameroon on August 9 sealed their early elimination.
The quarter-final exit marked the first time in history that the Super Falcons failed to reach the semi-finals of the continental tournament.
Consequently, Nigeria missed out on automatic qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil and subsequently failed to secure a berth via the playoffs, marking the first time the Super Falcons will miss the global showpiece since its inception in 1991.
CULLED FROM PUNCH
