The Super Eagles of Nigeria have moved up by 14 spots to 28th position in the world in the February FIFA ranking.

This followed the Super Eagles’ second spot finish in the just concluded Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire.

In the ranking table published on FIFA website on Thursday, February 15, 2024, the Super Eagles garnered 1,522 points as against the 1,474 points scored in December 2023.

The upward movement further shoot up the Super Eagles as the third placed team in Africa, behind Morocco and Senegal who have 1,663 (12th) and 1,620 (17th) points, respectively.

However, the newly-crowned African champions Cote d’Ivoire, reaped the rewards of their continental triumph on home soil by being in the 39th place having moved up by 10 spots.

AFCON second runners-up, South Africa, climbed 8 spots to 58th, with Egypt (36th), Cameroon (51st), and Ghana (67th) dropping down after their early 2023 AFCON exits.

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The Angolan side who were ousted in the last eight (93rd, up 24) are the biggest climbers in the latest installment of the global ranking.

In the point stakes, two-time Asian Cup winners Qatar (37th, up 21) chalk up the biggest tally (92.04 points) after capitalising on home comforts to successfully defend their continental crown.

Elsewhere, Jordan (70th, up 17), who were edged out in the final, make good ground, as do Thailand (101st, up 12), whose journey came to an end at the last-16 stage.

Qatar’s rise sees them enter uncharted territory, with two other teams also recording best-ever rankings.

Senegal (17th, up 3), which suffered shoot-out heartbreak at the hands of the eventual winners Cote d’Ivoire in the AFCON Round of 16, break new ground.

Tajikistan (99th, up 7) mark their maiden Asian Cup campaign by making a first-ever appearance in the top 100.

Other impressive performers are Equatorial Guinea (79th, up 9), South Africa (58th, up 8), Cabo Verde (65th, up 8), Namibia (107th, up 8), and Mali (47th, up 4).

The Star