Women’s world rankings: Cameroon rise after AFCON triumph as Algeria gain only one place

Two months after a Women’s Africa Cup of Nations that reshaped the continent’s football landscape, Cameroon have climbed nine places to 62nd in the latest Fifa women’s world rankings.

The Indomitable Lionesses’ rise follows their 3-0 victory over Malawi in the final, which secured them the African title. They are now the third-highest-ranked African nation behind Nigeria and South Africa, moving above Morocco in the global standings.

Morocco remain fourth in Africa and 64th in the world despite finishing fourth at a tournament they hosted. The Atlas Lionesses lost to Cameroon in the semi-finals before being beaten by Algeria on penalties in the third-place play-off.

They have lost points but not their position in the rankings, with their limited decline reflecting the strength of their overall performance despite falling short of their ambitions.

Nigeria remain Africa’s leading side but have dropped seven places to 43rd in the world. The Super Falcons also suffered the biggest points loss in this edition, relinquishing 83.54 points.

South Africa are still second among African teams at 59th globally, although they have fallen two places. Ghana are next in the continental order at 65th, followed by Zambia in 70th, Cote d’Ivoire in 72nd and Algeria.

Algeria’s limited rise

Algeria have moved up only one place to 73rd in the world, despite reaching the semi-finals of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations for the first time and qualifying for the first World Cup in their history.

The Greens are now eighth in Africa and have gained more than 27 points since the previous ranking. Their progress in points, however, has translated into only a marginal improvement in position.

Algeria’s campaign in Morocco included a symbolic victory over the host nation, following their stated ambition to make history in Algerian women’s football. The narrow movement is partly explained by the small gaps between several teams and by Fifa’s ranking formula.

With 10 matches played during the period, Algeria were among the two most active national teams in the rankings, alongside Morocco.

The biggest leap was made by Malawi. The Scorchers, who finished runners-up at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and qualified for the 2027 World Cup, surged 49 places to 104th in the world.

That is a record rise, while their gain of 158.44 points is the largest ever recorded in a single ranking update. The latest standings underline the main outcomes of the tournament: Cameroon have returned to the African elite, Malawi have reached a new level and Algeria have moved closer to the leading teams, even if their progress has been reflected only modestly by Fifa.