FIFA rankings: Nigeria’s Super Falcons suffer seven-place drop as Ghana’s Black Queens slide to 65th

Nigeria have retained their status as Africa’s highest-ranked women’s national team despite dropping seven places to 43rd in the latest FIFA Women’s World Rankings, while Ghana have also suffered a setback after falling five places to 65th.

The rankings, released on Tuesday, October 20, reflect a difficult period for both sides following their disappointing campaigns at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), staged in Morocco in July and August.

The Super Falcons have fallen from 36th to 43rd globally following a string of disappointing results, including their quarter-final exit at the 2026 WAFCON.

The 10-time African champions endured further setbacks with defeats to Malawi and Cameroon before losing 2-1 to South Africa in the play-offs for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Those results contributed to Nigeria’s decline in the latest rankings, although they remain ahead of every other African nation.

The Super Falcons have since responded positively, recording consecutive victories over Comoros in the qualifiers for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

The results offer encouragement for Nigeria as they seek to recover from their recent struggles and maintain their dominance in African women’s football.

South Africa remain the continent’s second-highest-ranked side, followed by Morocco and Zambia, with Ghana completing the top five.

Black Queens lose ground after WAFCON disappointment

Ghana have dropped from 60th to 65th in the world rankings after failing to reach the semi-finals of the 2026 WAFCON.

The Black Queens’ quarter-final elimination by Malawi ended their hopes of securing an automatic qualification spot for the 2027 Women’s World Cup through the tournament.

The setback has also affected Ghana’s standing on the continent, with the team falling from third to fifth among Africa’s highest-ranked women’s national sides.

The latest decline represents a reversal after Ghana climbed to 60th in the previous edition of the rankings.

Their failure to progress beyond the quarter-finals in Morocco has proved costly, denying them an opportunity to improve their global position against some of the continent’s leading teams.

Ghana have also featured in the qualifying phase for the 2028 Olympic Games, facing Mauritius as they pursue a place at the competition.

The Black Queens will now look to improve their results in upcoming international fixtures as they seek to regain lost ground and return to the African top three.

Spain continue to lead global rankings

Spain remain at the summit of the global standings, ahead of the United States, Germany, England and Japan.

The latest rankings underline the contrasting fortunes of Africa’s leading teams, with Nigeria maintaining continental supremacy despite their seven-place decline and Ghana slipping further down the global standings.

While the Super Falcons will seek to build on their recent victories over Comoros, the Black Queens face the task of restoring their position among Africa’s leading nations after their disappointing WAFCON campaign.