Leadership (Abuja)
Bassey Ekpo Bassey
22 December 2011
Nigeria has failed to climb in the new FIFA ranking released yesterday. According to the new ranking posted at the FIFA website, Nigeria remains at the 43rd position in the world and 5th on the continent.
Nigeria remains static despite being named as the 43rd last month. Cote d’Ivoire however remains the best African nation sitting at the 16th position in the overall ranking. Best African team at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Ghana is 29th in the world and 2nd on the continent
while North Africans, Algeria are 30th and 3rd best African nation. Fellow North Africans, Egypt are 31st globally and 4th on the continent while Senegal is a slot behind Nigeria at the 44th position. Cameroon is 50th and 7th on the continent, South Africa 52nd and 8th on the continent, Tunisia 59th and 9th in Africa, Sierra Leone 60th in the world and 10th in Africa and Morocco 61st on the globe and 11th in Africa completes the first eleven on the continent.
Globally, World and European champions Spain remain unchallenged at the top followed by the Netherlands, Germany and Uruguay, who are all still competing in an exciting head-to-head battle for second place. Spain is the Team of the Year for the fourth year in a row. The Best Mover of the Year was claimed by Wales. The Welshmen find themselves back in the top 50 thanks to their outstanding performances in the second half of the year, with wins over Montenegro, Switzerland and Bulgaria in the EURO 2012 qualifiers. Nigeria was adjudged the best mover of the year eleven years ago in 2000. The next FIFA/Coca-Cola Ranking will be published January 18, 2012.
AllAfrica – All the Time