FIFA Rankings: Nigeria ends year in Africa’s top ten

Super Eagles of Nigeria squad

Super Eagles placed 52nd in the world on the latest rankings released by world football body FIFA on Wednesday.  

This meant that the two-time African champions remained among the top ten football teams on the African continent to finish the year on a relatively positive note after recording consistent drop in the rankings earlier in the year. 

Nigeria garnered 581 points to get to this new position. This is an increment of 29 points from its previous 553 points. The 3-1 victory over Venezuela was one of the pointers for Nigeria’s new position. The country is tied on the same points with Central African Republic (CAR) that is ranked ninth on the continent.

Africa’s best team Cote d’Ivoire moved a place up in the rankings to place 14th in the world while Algeria remained second in Africa and unmoved in its 19th position in the world. Mali jumped three places to 25th in the world and third in Africa while Ghana dropped a place to 30th in the world and fourth on the continent.

Africa’s defending champions, Zambia leaped five places to 34th in the world and fifth on the continent while several time African champions Egypt dropped a place to the 41st position in the world and sixth on the continent.

Gabon moved up an impressive 10 places to 42nd in the world and seventh in Africa and Tunisia moved up a place to 4th in the world and eighth on the continent. Central African Republic (CAR) remained unmoved in its position as the ninth best team on the continent. Nigeria completes the top ten as another non-mover.

Reigning European and world champions Spain also remained the best team in the world thus finishing 2012 at the summit of the FIFA rankings for the fifth time in a row while Joachim Loew's Germany remained the second-placed team in the standings, with South American giants Argentina completing the podium.

Euro 2012 finalists Italy have climbed one place and now sit fourth, ahead of Colombia which was named 'Mover of the Year' after reaching fifth position from 36th at the start of the year. England is sixth, while Portugal (seventh, three down), Netherlands (eighth, one down), Russia (ninth) and Croatia (10th) complete the rest of the top 10. Copa America holders Uruguay has to settle for 16th place after dropping five places, while 2014 World Cup hosts Brazil is 18th. Cuba are this month's biggest climbers as it went 41 places up to make it to 100th spot, while Belize (down 23) dropped the most positions compared to last month's FIFA rankings.