Nigeria Extend Lead Over Rivals Ghana, South Africa Despite Missing 2026 World Cup Automatic Ticket
- The Super Eagles have climbed four places in the latest FIFA world rankings, now 41st globally.
- Nigeria returns to Africa’s top five football nations after their October victories against Lesotho and Benin Republic
- The Super Eagles are seeking to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup via the playoffs after missing the automatic ticket
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The Super Eagles have climbed four spots in the latest FIFA World Rankings, restoring national pride and reasserting their footballing pedigree.
Despite narrowly missing out on an automatic ticket to the 2026 World Cup, the three-time African champion’s recent form has brought renewed belief among Nigerians.
Source: Getty Images
The latest update from FIFA shows Nigeria moving from 45th to 41st in the world, a remarkable jump that marks their return to Africa’s elite top five, as seen on FIFA's official website.
This progress is driven by strong performances during the October international window that saw the Super Eagles earn remarkable wins against Lesotho and Benin Republic.
Led by Victor Osimhen and supported by a hungry, disciplined team, Nigeria delivered a 2-1 win against Lesotho and a commanding 4-0 triumph over Benin Republic.
Those results did more than just secure a World Cup playoff spot; they restored belief in the national team’s direction under head coach Eric Chelle.
Nigeria extend lead over rivals
Nigeria’s climb carries an added layer of satisfaction, as it widens the gap over traditional rivals Ghana and South Africa.
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While both the Black Stars and Bafana Bafana have qualified for the World Cup, the latest FIFA update places the Super Eagles comfortably ahead in the rankings.
Ghana sit 73rd globally, while South Africa, who topped Group C ahead of Nigeria, have slipped four places to 59th, underscoring the Super Eagles’ superior consistency and stronger international performances.
For Nigerian fans, who endured heartbreak following the Super Eagles’ absence from the 2022 World Cup, this resurgence offers a symbolic victory, proof that the team under Chelle is back among the best on the continent.
Africa’s top five in FIFA’s ranking
At the continental level, Morocco continue to lead African football despite dropping one place globally.
Senegal, Egypt, and Algeria follow closely behind, with Nigeria’s upward movement ensuring a return to the top five African countries.
This climb for Nigeria is more than a statistical improvement; it represents momentum and belief ahead of the crucial playoff phase of the World Cup qualifiers.
The Super Eagles will head into the World Cup playoffs as the highest-ranked team ahead of Gabon, Cameroon, and DR Congo.
This means the team will get an easier path to picking the World Cup ticket should the Super Eagles scale through the African qualifiers, where they face the Panthers of Gabon next, The Standard reports.
Nigeria suffers double setback
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Super Eagles camp has been hit with a double setback ahead of the crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup playoffs match against Gabon next month.
Nigeria's preparation for the game against Gabon took the first hit right on the pitch after Semi Ajayi received a yellow card for a foul in the 55th minute, and the booking means that the Hull City defender was suspended for the match against Gabon, and Nigeria would want to avoid a Teboho Mokoena mistake.
Source: Legit.ng
