By By Elizabeth Ugbo
Nigeria’s Super Falcons have dropped seven places from 36th to 43rd in the latest FIFA Women’s World Rankings, following their disappointing 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) campaign in Morocco. The latest ranking reflects Nigeria’s recent struggles, although the 10-time African champions remain Africa’s highest-ranked women’s national team. FIFA will release the next rankings on December 7, 2026.
Super Falcons Suffer WAFCON Setback
Nigeria’s decline follows a disappointing performance at the 2026 WAFCON in Morocco, where the team failed to reach the semi-finals for the first time.
The Falcons began their campaign with a 3-2 defeat to Malawi. However, they recovered with a 1-0 victory over Zambia and a convincing 6-2 win against Egypt.
Those results secured Nigeria a place in the quarter-finals. However, Cameroon ended their campaign with a 1-0 victory on August 9.
Consequently, the defeat marked a significant setback for the Nigerian women’s national team, which has dominated African women’s football for decades.
South Africa End Nigeria’s World Cup Hopes
Nigeria’s disappointment continued when South Africa defeated the Falcons 2-1 in a play-off in Casablanca on August 13.
The result ended Nigeria’s hopes of securing automatic qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
It also threatened the country’s remarkable record of appearing at every edition of the Women’s World Cup since the inaugural tournament in 1991.
Thembi Kgatlana and Refiloe Jane scored for South Africa. Meanwhile, substitute Christy Ucheibe converted a stoppage-time penalty for Nigeria.
Despite Ucheibe’s late goal, the Falcons could not prevent the defeat. As a result, Nigeria lost its opportunity to maintain its uninterrupted World Cup participation record.
Olympic Qualifying Campaign Offers Hope
Despite the disappointing WAFCON and World Cup qualifying results, Nigeria has recorded progress in its bid to reach the 2028 Olympic Games.
The Super Falcons secured two victories over Comoros during the Olympic qualifying rounds.
These wins offer encouragement as the team seeks to rebuild confidence and improve its international standing.
Furthermore, a stronger qualifying campaign could help Nigeria regain momentum ahead of future international competitions.
Nigeria Remains Africa’s Top-Ranked Women’s Team
Despite falling seven places globally, the Super Falcons remain the highest-ranked women’s national team in Africa.
South Africa, Morocco, Ghana and Zambia occupy the continent’s second, third, fourth and fifth positions, respectively.
Nigeria’s continental standing highlights the team’s continued importance in African women’s football, despite its recent setbacks.
However, the latest decline underlines the need for improved performances in major competitions.
The Falcons will now aim to recover from their disappointing WAFCON campaign, strengthen their international ranking and pursue qualification for the 2028 Olympic Games.
