Tag: Super Eagles AFCON

The Super Eagles have climbed three places to 38th in the latest FIFA World Rankings, despite their penalty shootout defeat to DR Congo in the African World Cup Qualifying Play-off Final.

The updated rankings, released by FIFA yesterday, reflect the outcome of 149 matches — including 79 friendlies — played during the most recent international window that sealed several 2026 World Cup qualifying spots.

Nigeria, previously ranked 41st, benefitted significantly from their emphatic 4–1 victory over Gabon in the play-off tournament in Morocco, a win that boosted their points tally enough to move them up the global ladder.

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The Super Eagles also maintained their status among Africa’s top five teams, positioned behind:

Morocco (11), Senegal (19), Egypt (34) and Algeria (35). Ivory Coast dropped to seventh in Africa, while Tunisia climbed ahead of them.

Globally, the top four — Spain, Argentina, France, and England — held firm.

Brazil climbed two places to fifth, leapfrogging Portugal (now sixth) and the Netherlands (seventh). Belgium stayed eighth, while Germany and Croatia completed the top 10.

 A Nigerian top manager  in the Finnish league,  coach Moshood  Bola Abdulaziz, believes  the  Super Eagles  have the potentialities to win  the forthcoming  2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to be hosted in Cote d’Ivoire, adding with good preparations, the elements can come together for the country’s long awaited fourth title.

Nigeria won the last of her three titles a decade ago at South Africa 2013  with a team led  by late coach Stephen Keshi but Abdulaziz hinted it’s about time  the Super Eagles add another title to their haul which  included  after two other wins on home soil in 1980 and Tunisia 1994.

“ Frankly,  I think that Nigeria can win the  next AFCON,” Abdulaziz, a UEFA Pro A holder, told NationSports in a wide ranging interview. “ We have the capacity and Nigeria  will be counting on  our players; we are counting on them and praying for them  to deliver.”

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Drawn in  what is regarded as a tricky group  along with hosts Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea  and Guinea Bissau, Abdulaziz  said the Super Eagles can brush aside  their Group A rivals , adding  the coach Jose Peseiro-led side  should  play each match like a cup final without  underrating  any of their contenders.

“  In Africa  today, you cannot underrate any country and  this  is a huge challenge because no country  is bigger than any  other country as far as football is concerned, “ he continued.“ It’s  been long that  we won the AFCON  and  I believe time has come for that Nigeria to win the trophy again

 “We have enough quality players and i just hope that they work harder, it’s very important for us to win the AFCON.”

He added: ”It was unfortunate that Super  Eagles  did  not make  it  to World Cup and I  saw the comments all over the world with people angry that Nigeria didn’t make it

“People are eager to see Nigeria succeed and I  am praying that the Super Eagles  succeed at this  upcoming  AFCON  in  Cote d’Ivoire.”

Meanwhile, Abdulaziz  has  spoken  more on his ground-breaking  successes across  clubs  in Finland even as he charted  ways  on how Nigerian football can benefit from his expertise. Watch out.