More knocks for Rohr, as Super Eagles drop in latest FIFA ranking
The Super Eagles of Nigeria have dropped seven points in the latest FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking.
The Nigerian senior men team dropped from third to fifth on the continent, and 34th globally with 1480 points.
This is after Gernot Rohr’s Super Eagles failed to win any of their three international games.
The three-time African champions lost twice and drew a game.
In the ranking released on Thursday and published on FIFA’s official website, Senegal, Tunisia Algeria emerged top three in Africa respectively. They were followed by Morocco – fourth.
In the world ranking, Belgium retained their top spot despite being eliminated in the quarter-finals of the European Championship.
Their last-eight opponents and eventual winners of the tournament, Italy, (5, +2), moved up into the top 5, just behind EURO runners-up England (4, no change). Just above that pair, Brazil (2, +1) and France (3, -1) swapped places.
Argentina (6, +2) reaped the benefits of a triumphant Copa America campaign, while the two Gold Cup finalists broke into the top 10. Victorious in that tournament and winners of the Concacaf Nations League as well, United States (10, +10) climbed no fewer than ten places, eight more than Mexico (9, +2), who, despite losing in the final of both competitions, now sit one spot above their continental rivals.
In addition, it is worth noting the impressive progress made by Gold Cup invitees Qatar (42, +16), who reached the semi-finals in the USA, thereby recording the largest climb of the month and equalling their highest-ever position in the ranking, which dates back to the first edition in 1993.
A handful of other teams that did not take part in regional tournaments, such as Sierra Leone (106, +8), Eswatini (146, +8), Puerto Rico (171, +7), and Mongolia (185, +7), still managed to gain ground courtesy of positive friendly results.
“The next FIFA/Coca-Cola Men’s World Ranking will be published on 16 September 2021,” FIFA said on its website. Punch
