Super Falcons drop seven places to 43rd in FIFA women’s ranking

Nigeria’s Super Falcons have dropped seven places to 43rd in the FIFA/Coca-Cola Women’s World Ranking published on Tuesday, 20 October 2026. FIFA’s table shows that Nigeria lost 83.54 ranking points, more than any other country in the update.

The Super Falcons are still the highest-ranked women’s team in Africa, but their lead over the rest of the continent has narrowed after a difficult few months that included the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco.

Why it matters

FIFA’s ranking is the standard yardstick for comparing national teams, and Nigeria, record ten-time African champions, have long been the continent’s best-placed women’s side. A fall of this size comes in a year in which the team went out of WAFCON in the quarter-finals and changed coaches, and with an Olympic qualifier against Morocco ahead.

What FIFA’s table shows

• Nigeria: 43rd, down seven places, with 1,518.02 points.
• Points lost: 83.54, which FIFA lists as the biggest loss of any team in this update.
• Last result counted: the 5-0 win over Comoros on 13 October, which FIFA’s table shows as a change of -0.60 points. A big win over a much lower-ranked side can still cost a little, because the women’s ranking compares each result with what was expected against that opponent.

Spain stay top with 2,121.50 points, ahead of the United States and Germany.

Who is closing the gap in Africa?

A GistMatrix check of FIFA’s table shows how much of Nigeria’s cushion is left. The Super Falcons, on 1,518.02 points, are now about 90 points clear of South Africa (59th, 1,427.91) and about 102 points clear of Cameroon (62nd, 1,416.49). Morocco are 64th.

Cameroon climbed nine places after winning WAFCON 2026, Premium Times reported. Malawi made the biggest jump of all: FIFA lists them as the biggest climber, up 49 places to 104th, and the team that gained the most points, 158.44. Egypt had the biggest fall in places, down 14.

Why did Nigeria fall?

Premium Times put the drop down to a difficult international period that included WAFCON, African Olympic qualifiers and friendlies.

At WAFCON in Morocco, Nigeria lost their opening group game 3-2 to tournament debutants Malawi in Rabat on 28 July. They recovered to beat Zambia 1-0 and then Egypt to reach the knockout rounds, but were beaten by Cameroon in the quarter-finals. Vanguard reported that the quarter-final defeat cost Nigeria an automatic route to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

Justin Madugu was in charge at WAFCON. In September, the former Super Eagles coach Augustine Eguavoen was appointed to lead the Super Falcons on an interim basis while the search for a permanent coach continues, Vanguard reported.

Under Eguavoen, Nigeria beat Comoros 7-0 on aggregate in the second round of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic qualifiers, finishing with a 5-0 win at Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, Ogun State, on 13 October.

What happens next

• Morocco: the Super Falcons meet Morocco in the third round of the Olympic qualifiers, scheduled between 23 February and 6 March 2027, according to Morocco World News. Morocco are 21 places below Nigeria in FIFA’s table.
• Next ranking: FIFA’s next official update of the women’s ranking is due on Monday, 7 December 2026.
• The coach: watch for the Nigeria Football Federation’s decision on a permanent head coach before the Morocco tie.

The video with this story is Channels Television’s report on Eguavoen’s call for the Super Falcons to focus on the third-round tie. What should the team fix first? Vote in the poll with this story, or tell GistMatrix what you think.