Super Falcons Drop in FIFA Rankings as Malawi Soars

Nigeria’s Super Falcons have fallen seven places to 43rd in the latest FIFA Women’s World Ranking. This drop marks the biggest loss in ranking points among all countries in the October update.

The Nigerian team lost 83.54 points after a tough period that included the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, African Olympic qualifying matches, and international friendlies.

The latest rankings, released after 183 international matches, show a mixed picture in African women’s football. While some teams improved their positions, others faced serious drops.

For Nigeria, this decline raises new worries about the team’s consistency as they prepare for upcoming international competitions.

The Super Falcons are still Africa’s most successful women’s national team, with a record 10 WAFCON titles. But this recent setback highlights the need to convert that history into better performances.

While Nigeria lost places, Malawi was the biggest mover in the latest rankings. They jumped 49 places to 104th in the world.

The Scorchers gained 158.44 points, the highest increase recorded by any nation this update. Their rise shows a team that is making a name for itself in African women’s football, a sharp contrast to Nigeria’s fall.

Cameroon also made gains, moving up nine places to 62nd after becoming African champions. Tanzania climbed 11 places to 111th, while Burkina Faso went up nine positions to 109th.

These changes show that women’s football is becoming more competitive in Africa, with more nations improving and challenging the traditional powerhouses.

Egypt had the biggest drop among African teams, falling 14 places to 113th after losing all three of their group matches at WAFCON.

Zimbabwe slipped nine places to 136th, and the Democratic Republic of Congo dropped eight positions to 114th.

Nigeria remains the highest-ranked African team at 43rd, followed by South Africa at 59th, Cameroon at 62nd, and Morocco at 64th.

Ghana is in 65th position, with Zambia at 70th, Côte d’Ivoire at 72nd, Algeria at 73rd, Senegal at 76th, and Mali at 86th.

The rankings show the varied progress of African teams and the pressure on established teams to keep their spots through consistent results.

At the top of the world rankings, Spain stays in first place after winning their first match against the United States and drawing the second. These results helped the European champions extend their lead over the Americans to almost 80 points.

The United States remains second, while Germany is third after winning both of their home friendlies.

Denmark was the only team to change positions in the global top 10, climbing two places to 10th after a win and a draw against Canada. This marks their return to the top 10 for the first time since August 2010, pushing the Netherlands down to 11th and Korea DPR to 12th.

For the Super Falcons, dropping to 43rd is a setback that highlights the need for better performances and consistency. With the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil coming up, Nigeria must regain momentum to improve their standing and keep their place among Africa’s top teams.