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Nigeria has once again toppled Cameroon as Africa's highest ranked country by the world football governing body, FIFA in its September ranking released Wednesday which places the country as number 23 in the world.
LAGOS, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Nigeria has once again toppled Cameroon as Africa's highest ranked country by the world football governing body, FIFA in its September ranking released Wednesday which places the country as number 23 in the world.
This is coming four days after President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua lamented the decline in the country's football once rated among the top six in the world and charged the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) to ensure the country takes her pride of place among the foot baling nations.
The country gained three steps from her August ranking after her 2-0 win over Lesotho in Warri Aug. 8, the same weekend Cameroon got humiliated by minnows, Equatorial Guinea.
Cameroon thus slipped nine points to occupy the 25th position in the world and second behind Nigeria in Africa.
Equatorial Guinea's feat catapulted them from 72 in the world to 33, a climb FIFA described as the country's best since the ranking system began.
Other big gainers in Africa are Guinea which moved 12 steps to place 4th in Africa and 30 in the world as well as Senegal, who gained six steps to place 7th in Africa and 40 in the world.
The top 10 African countries who also made FIFA's top 50 are Cote d'Ivoire 3rd , Tunisia 5th, Morocco 6th, Egypt 8th, Ghana 9th and Mali who are on the 10th position in Africa occupying the 49th slot on the world ranking.