Izuchukwu Okosi
The Super Eagles have improved in the latest FIFA rankings as they moved to the 31st position in the world and third in Africa on the back of their impressive run at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
The Eagles under interim coach Augustine Eguavoen moved five spots from the December 2020 ratings in the FIFA Rankings.
They are the only team thus far to record a 100% record in the group stage of the continental tournament after they beat Egypt 1-0, went past Sudan 3-1 before they overcame Guinea Bissau 2-0 even when they paraded mostly fringe players having already secured their passage to the knockout rounds of the AFCON.
It was the first time since 2006 that they achieved such a record and incidentally when they set such record was with Eguavoen in charge of the team.
Kelechi Iheanacho was the official Man of the Match against Egypt after his match winner, Moses Simon scooped the award in the comfortable win over Sudan, while stand-in captain William Ekong bagged the top individual prize in Wednesday night’s victory over Guinea Bissau.
On Saturday, the Eagles will be one of the five seeded teams for the draw of the 2022 World Cup final playoffs. They will face the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia on Sunday in the round of 16.
The five winners of the final World Cup playoffs in March will advance to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in November.
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.
