The Super Eagles has ended 2020 as the fifth best team in the continent and 35th in world according to the latest ranking released yesterday by the world football governing body, FIFA.
Last February, Nigeria started as the third best team in Africa but the fortune of the Coach Gernot Rohr-tutored side plummeted in the last ranking of the year.
Senegal ended the year as the best football playing nation in Africa and ranked 20th in the world while Tunisia is second rated 26th. African Champion Algeria is third and ranked 31st in the world while Morocco that displaced Nigeria as the fourth-rated team in Africa, is ranked 35th.
In Africa and the world, Burundi is the biggest climbers in terms of places gained after picking up 29 points to make the most significant move and ascending 13 positions to be ranked 138th in the world.
According to FIFA, a total of 1082 full internationals were played in 2019, the biggest number since the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking was introduced in 1993.
By contrast, just 352 matches took place in 2020. Not since 1987 (323 matches), have so few fixtures taken place in a calendar year.
And while 2020 has certainly had major disruptions, Belgium still managed to claim the title of FIFA World Ranking Team of the Year for the third consecutive time.
Winners of six of their eight matches in 2020, the Belgian side are not the only ones to see their position unchanged.
Their three immediate pursuers – France (2nd), Brazil (3rd ) and England (4th ) – retain their respective rankings. The only change in the top five compared to 2019 is the appearance of Portugal in 5th place.
The next FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking will be published on February 18, 2021.