Nigeria moved five places up on the Fifa
global rankings to place 52nd at the end of
2012 in the latest statistics released on
Wednesday.
The Super Eagles have climbed up steadily
in recent times after gaining six places in
November and have now added a further
five to end the year on a rising note ahead
of the Africa Cup of Nations in January.
Stephen Keshi’s team defeated Venezuela
3-1 in an international friendly in
November and this added to the positive
climb.
The country’s football suffered in 2012
owing to the inability of the Eagles to
qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations in
Gabon & Equatorial Guinea. While the team
ended 2011 in the 42nd position and fifth
in Africa, its ranking slid as low as 63rd and
13th in Africa in October this year.
The Super Eagles now remain 10th in Africa
behind Cote D’Ivoire, Algeria, Mali, Ghana,
Zambia, Egypt, Gabon, Tunisia and the
Central African Republic.
Nigeria will play in next year’s Afcon in
Group C where they will face defending
champions Zambia (ranked fifth in Africa),
Ethiopia (31st) and Burkina Faso (24th).
Spain retained the number one spot for the
fifth year, an achievement which earns
them the ‘Team of the Year’ title according
to Fifa. They are followed by Germany,
Argentina and Italy.
The ‘Mover of the Year’ goes to Colombia
for the second time since ranking was
introduced in 1993. Los Cafeteros finished
2011 in 36th, but thanks to six wins, one
draw and only one defeat thereafter – and
the 455 points they consequently earned –
they end 2012 in fifth.