August 21, (THEWILL) – The Nigerian Super Falcons have soared into the top 10 of the latest FIFA Women’s World Cup rankings, an impressive achievement for the African nation.
According to rankings released by FIFA this week, Nigeria placed 10th following the conclusion of the 2023 Women’s World Cup tournament on Sunday. Spain emerged victorious in the final against England to claim their first-ever title. The Super Falcons were unable to reach the quarter-finals, but still managed to outrank several football giants like Germany, Brazil and Italy in the post-tournament list.
Nigeria was the only African nation to break into the top 10. The Super Falcons showed resilience throughout the tournament, holding Olympic champion Canada to a goalless draw and stunning co-hosts Australia 3-2 in the group stage. A hard-fought 0-0 draw with England after extra time in the Round of 16 highlighted Nigeria’s grit. They eventually fell to the Lionesses on penalties, but still impressed enough to achieve the number 10 ranking.
Both Nigeria and the United States faced elimination in the Round of 16 and the Super Falcons are ranked just after the Americans in the list due to goal difference and the USWNT’s penalty shootout performance against Sweden as against the Super Falcons display against England.
The top 10 ranking expectedly has Spain at the top, followed by England, Sweden, Australia and Japan. The others are France, the Netherlands, Colombia, the USA and Nigeria. The Super Falcons have proudly flown the flag for Africa and cemented their place among the elite in women’s football.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
