TheCable

Super Eagles of Nigeria have maintained the 31st position in the latest FIFA/Coca-Cola world rankings.

According to the list released on Thursday by the world football body, the Super Eagles also took 3rd position in the continent.

Belgium secured the FIFA ranking’s ‘Team of the Year’ for the second successive time after a record-breaking year for the global ladder.

The Red Devils held on to the top spot in a December table that is barely impacted by just 19 friendlies toward the end of a year in which 1,082 international “A” matches have been played – an all-time high since the ranking’s 1993 inception.

The Gernot Rohr-inspired team also maintained its November’s 1493 points.

On November 13 and 17, the Nigerian national team played 2-1 and 4-1 wins over Benin Republic and Lesotho in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualification games in Uyo and Maseru respectively to top their group.

Algeria, African champions, also retained their 4th position in the continent and 35th in the world.

Senegal maintained their 20th spot — their best ever FIFA ranking — and 1st position in the continent.

Africa’s first ten include: Senegal, Tunisia, Nigeria, Algeria, Morocco, Ghana, Egypt, Cameroon, Mali and Congo.

Despite all the changes witnessed over 2019, the year has ended on a quiet note, with only the most modest of movements due to the scarcity of fixtures since the ranking’s November edition.

Nonetheless, eight teams – Bahrain (99th), Bolivia (75th), Korea Republic (40th), Lesotho (139th), the Solomon Islands (141st), South Africa (71st), St Kitts and Nevis (139th) and Suriname (141st) – have all been engaged on the ladder, and will hope to continue that progress in 2020.

Belgium, France and Brazil maintained their 1st, 2nd and 3rd spots respectively.

The ten top ranked nations are Belgium (1), France (2), Brazil (3), England (4), Uruguay (5), Croatia (6), Portugal (7), Spain (8), Argentina (9), Colombia (10).

The next FIFA/Coca-Cola World ranking will be published on February 20, 2020.