Posted by By Duro Ikhazuagbe on
Nigeria moved up four places in FIFA ranking for the month of October released yesterday to lead other African countries as the numero uno in the continent. In the overall, Nigeria ranked in the 19th position from her former 23rd placing to lead Cameroon.
• As Argentina upstages Italy at the Top
Nigeria moved up four places in FIFA ranking for the month of October released yesterday to lead other African countries as the numero uno in the continent. In the overall, Nigeria ranked in the 19th position from her former 23rd placing to lead Cameroon.
The Cameroonians who also moved up two places to place at 23rd overall, are the second in the African ranking.
Interestingly, Guinea (31) dropped one spot to become the third best in Africa. Didier Drogba's Cote d'Ivoire in the 32nd place is fourth with Senegal that moved up six places to 34th closely following the ivoriens.
Mali (40), Morocco (42) and Tunisia (43) ranked in that order
Hosts of next January's Cup of African Nations Ghana finished in the rear of the top ten of African nations ranked by FIFA in the (47th) position.
But the surprise of yesterday's ranking released in Zurich was yet another change - the sixth this year - at the top of the latest FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking.
Argentina (1st, up 1) have cruised back to the top after a superb start to the South American qualifiers for the 2010 FIFA World Cup while Italy (3rd, down 2) have seen Brazil (2nd, up 1) overtake them despite two recent victories after the devaluation of other wins from previous years (most notably the one against Ukraine in October 2006).
The other changes in the top ten and the places just outside it, according to FIFA 'are a reflection of the results of EURO 2008 qualifiers."
France (4th, up 2) and Spain (6th, up 1) have moved up the ladder while Germany (5th, down 1) and the Netherlands (7th, down 2) have paid for defeat by dropping down a notch or two.
The next FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking will be published on Friday, November 23.