Izuchukwu OkosiNigeria’s Super Eagles maintained their position in the current men’s rankings announced by the world soccer regulatory body (FIFA) on Thursday as the fourth best national team in Africa and the 32nd in the world reports Prime Business Africa.
The team lost 2-1 to the Algerian Desert Foxes in an international friendly game that took place in Oran.
The game was not on FIFA list as an official game and hence had little impact on the rankings.
On the global scene, a total of 53 UEFA Nations League matches and 119 friendlies were played during the last international break ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 which starts on November 20.
Brazil who defeated Ghana and Tunisia in international friendlies against African foes are placed first while Belgium are second. Argentina are third on the FIFA World ranking, while France and England make up the top five spots.
UEFA Nations League semifinalists Italy are in sixth place in the current rankings.
African champions Senegal remained the continent’s best-placed team in the World.
African Top 10
1. Senegal
2. Morroco
3. Tunisia
4. Nigeria
5. Algeria
6. Egypt
7. Cameroon
8. Mali
9. Cote d’Ivoire
10. Burkina Faso
The next FIFA rankings will be released on 4 November 2022 with much not expected to change as the next set of International friendlies ahead of the FIFA World Cup will hold a week before the tournament begins.
Nigeria’s best FIFA Ranking came in 1994 when the Eagles in the spate of three months were ranked in both 5th and 12th places after winning the Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia and also reaching the round of 16 stages of the World Cup.
Nigeria were adjudged to have played the best brand of football in USA 94 FIFA World Cup after eventual winners Brazil won the accolade,
The Eagles next international friendly is against Portugal on November 17.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
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