Nigeria’s Super Falcons maintained top position in the latest FIFA ranking that was released on Friday by the world soccer ruling body, Completesports.com reports.
The African champions however moved one step from 39th to 38th position in the world.
Thomas Dennerby’s ladies took part in the Cyprus Women’s Cup last month where they won two and lost two of the four games they played at the competition.
The Super Falcons are currently in camp ahead of the WAFU Women’s Cup in May and the friendly against Canada scheduled for Spain on April 8.
The West Africans are drawn in Group A along with hosts France, Norway and South Korea for the FIFA Women’s World Cup which begins in June.
The Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon, Bafana Bafana of South Africa, Black Queens of Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire completed the top five teams in the continent.
Meanwhile, England leapfrogged France into third position in the ranking.
The in-form Lionesses (3rd, up1) swapped places with Les Bleues (4th, down 1) on the back of winning the SheBelieves Cup earlier this month and, in doing so, struck the latest blow in an increasingly long-running battle.
This, in fact, is the fourth successive ranking in which England and France have exchanged positions behind the leading duo of USA (1st, unchanged) and Germany (2nd, unchanged).
Besides the recent friendly tournaments, it has been a fairly quiet period in international women’s football since the ranking’s most recent edition in December 2018.
The result is that the only other change in the top ten is Japan (7th, up 1) overtaking the Netherlands (8th, down 1), largely as a result of the European champions’ poor showing at the Algarve Cup. down the table, Poland (28th, up 6) are the biggest climbers after a surprising run to the Algarve Cup final, while Belgium (20th, up 1) and Portugal (30th, up 2) reached their highest-ever positions.
There was a milestone, too, for the ranking itself. With five teams, including four from Asia, reappearing in the table and only two dropping out, the number of teams ranked has increased from 152 to 155 – an all-time record.
The next FIFA/Coca-Cola Women’s World Ranking will be published on 12 July 2019.
By Adeboye Amosu
19 Comments
Go go Super Falcons.
deo my man
Uncle Jaye. How are you? Se dada ni?
Hope you are keeping well and thanks for reaching out.
Stay blessed.
This news that our women have moved up 1 slot in the FIFA rankings can only mean one thing: the efforts of the NFF and coach Dennerby to adequately prepare the Super Falcons for this summer World Cup is bearing fruit.
I have been tracking our women for sometime now and I can report on the following:
FORWARDS:
Ordega: played and scored in China recently to continue being effervescent.
Oshoala: recently injured but was doing great things in Barcelona before that with eye-catching goal scoring performances
Ajibade: played her first game in Norway to start gaining valuable international exposure.
Oparanozie: was recently restored to the starting line-up of Guingamp in France.
Chinaza Uchendu: holding her own and scoring goals for Braga in Portugl.
Umotong Ini:Was rattling the post with scoring efforts in the English Premier League this month.
Ihezuo: she brings valuable champions league experience to the party having featured for her club against Barcelona this season (amongst other performances).
MIDFIELDERS:
Alimat Ayinde and Ngozi Okobi: Both playing for the same club in Sweden but Okobi has seen more action on the pitch in March.
Ogonna Chukwudi: featured for her club in Sweden in March and will be hoping to return back to the Super Falcons having not featured in the recent tournament expedition.
Rita Chikwelu: I will be expecting much from this midfielder in France as she continues to feature heavily for her club in Sweden.
Esther Sunday: She’s packed with valuable UEFA Champions League experience where she has scored for her team this season.
DEFENCE:
Faith Ikidi: Featured for her club Pitea in the heart of the defence against Rita Chikwelu’s club in Sweden this month.
Ngozi Ebere: tasted her first action in Norwegian football this month as she and her fellow defenders helped her team to a clean sheet.
Osinachi Ohale: Was in inspiring form as she contributed to her team’s 5:0 demolition Jitex FX earlier this month with a sturdy display at the back in Sweden.
Goalkeepers:
Tochukwu Oluehi: said to have signed for Medkila IL in Norway.
Chiamaka Nnadozie: still in the books of Rivers Angels whix=ch is one of the most professionally run women’s football club in Nigeria.
Good luck to our ladies in all their exploits.
Happily, 23 year old winger Toni Oyedupe Payne, who recently scored 2 goals for Sevilla in the Spanish Primera Liga against Malaga, has declared her intention to kit for Nigeria ahead of her country of birth USA.
Speaking to goal.com, the ex-USA youth international said: “given the amazing opportunity, I would want to win big games and tournaments with Nigeria.
I would be excited to play a style of soccer that I grew up learning, thanks to my Dad who taught me so much about the game.
If given the chance I would gladly become a Super Falcon and wear the color green with pride.” End of quote.
The 5 foot 3 striker has scored 7 goals and 1 assist in 22 games for Sevilla.
Speaking about Toni’s skills, her former Under 17 coach Albertin Montoya once said:”She is probably one of the most explosive players I have seen in the women’s game;her ability to accelerate past players is quite remarkable and not seen very often in the women’s game.
Her ability to penetrate on the dribble, her comfort level on the ball is exceptional. Her quickness, her pace, her acceleration are remarkable.” End of quote.
So, what is Dennerby and the NFF waiting for?
Regarding Toni Oyedupe Payne (see my post above), kindly enjoy the clip of her below :
https://youtu.be/eZ9eoxW212c
Additionally (following on from my earlier posts above) our ladies are expected to be busy for their clubs in April to which I intend tracking their progress ahead of the World Cup in June.
I do hope the NFF extends an invitation to Toni Payne – I think she is the real deal.
.
Good one deo, i think she’s quite impressive judging from the clip and would be a good addition to the Super Falcons.
Thanks Frank
Just to let you know that Super Falcons Smooth Operator Raheedat Ajibade was in action for her club in Norway yesterday as they were held to a 1:1 draw at home against LSK Kvinner women’s FC.
Ms Stevanovic got the goal for the home side while Ms Reiten scored for the away-side via a penalty.
Playing in her second professional match in Europe, Rasheedat was on from the start and lasted 90 minutes.
By all accounts, the veteran of age-grade tournament for Nigeria gave a reasonable account of herself in a country she and her Falcons colleague will be facing at this year’s world cup in France.
Like I said before, I hope Raheedat comes to bite the fingers that feed her with a goal against Norway at the world cup.
Toni Payne, who is at pains to represent Nigeria at the 2019 FIFA Women’s world Cup was in action for her club Sevilla in the Spanish Primera Liga today as they pummelled Madrid women 3:0 in front of their home fans.
Spotting jersey number 11, the Amuneke-type winger was on from start to finish.
The 3 goals came from Ms Morilla (2 goals) and substitute Ms Calderon.
Reports from some media outlet indicate that the former USA Under-19 Toni is keen to feature for Nigeria at senior level.
Quoting fellow CSN Contributor Frank above, he said: ” i think she’s quite impressive judging from the clip and would be a good addition to the Super Falcons.”
That’s athletico Madrid ladies not real Madrid, bcos real Madrid dnt have female soccer team yet.thanks for the info.
Thanks Stephen, you are right. Ordega played for them not that long ago.
It is interesting how some big and powerful teams like Real Madrid, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspurs either do not have female teams or have female teams playing at a lower league.
One would have expected them to be trailblazers in women’s football.
Personally, I think Real Madrid not having a female team is an absolute disgrace in this day and age. At least Man U and Spurs’ women are playing at a lower league.
On this same topic, an irritated Gabe Lazra wrote on managing madrid.com:”Real Madrid have the resources to create an elite women’s club team. They could bring in the best players in the world. It would cost a fraction of what a single player costs on the men’s team.
That team could challenge Barcelona and Atlético for the title year in, year out. The ratings would improve every year as these women prove that the level of their game, their competitiveness and their passion are equal to the men.
They have nothing to prove, but nevertheless they will be forced to prove it—and they will.” End of quote.
Hoping to make the Falcons’ next squad having missed out on recent assignments, Midfielder Ogonna Chukwudi was in action in Sweden yesterday from start to finish as her team Djurgarden FC suffered a 1:2 home loss to AIK women’s team.
Spotting jersey number 16, the 5 inch 3 midfielder started from right of the midfield, lasting all the way.
Thirty years old Ogonna will be hoping to crash the 2019 World Cup party starting with stellar performances for her club between now and then.
Her 2011 world cup experience could come yet come in handy.
One of the stalwarts of Nigeria’s defence Ngozi Ebere tasted 90 minutes action in Norway yesterday as her side Arna-Bjornar could only muster a 1:1 draw at home to Lyn women’s FC.
Kitted in jersey number 2, the vivacious defender played her part in the heart of her team’s defence to ensure that no more than 1 goal was conceded.
Goals from Ms Mijatovic for the home side and substitute Ms R. Lillegard for the visitors settled a 1:1 scoreline in this encounter.
Twenty-seven year old Ngozi – who is almost sure-banker to make the world cup squad barring injury – was the only African on parade in this feisty encounter.
.
Any news about Courtney dike? She’s been out of the falcons team lately.
I actually sent Courtney and Sophia Omotola Omidiji messages on Facebook regarding their Super Falcons plans but they are both yet to get back to me.
Regarding Sophia, I am unsure what she is up to recently as the last I heard of her was when she was invited for the friendly against France over a year ago.
Her brief profile is below :
“Sophia Omotola Omidiji (born June 18, 1997) is a Nigerian-American football player. She featured for the Nigerian U-20 Women National team and was signed to Dutch Division I Club S.B.V. Excelsior after completing a switch from KAA Gent in Belgium in June 2017.
Sophia Omidiji was raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, to a Nigerian father and an American mother” END.
I remember reading that upon congratulating her for being invited to Nigeria’s under-20 squad in 2015, Sophia said on menssoccerunited.com:” Thank you so much. I appreciate it. It is the greatest honour of my life to represent my Nation. It is National pride and I feel privileged, humbled and honoured to represent my country and I will do my best at every training, as well as at every game to make my nation proud. There’s a popular saying in Nigeria that a farmer with a thriving cocoa farm owes this not just to his effort, but to God so I thank God for this blessing. It means everything to me and an opportunity I will not take for granted. I am very proud to represent this great country. I have received overwhelming support from Nigerians of all walks of life, current and former players both male and female showing their support and telling me how proud they are of me and that is very humbling. There is no greater feeling than representing the greatest nation on earth. Nigerians are smart, humble, hardworking, God fearing and I am privileged to say I represent us at a National team level.”End of quote.
The last I heard is that she is playing in Holland. Things may have moved on from this.
MORE PREPARATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE FALCONS:
As the legion of foreign based Super Falcons stars continue to feature for the clubs ahead of the World Cup in France, the fulcrum of players that will make up the contingent of home based players have the opportunity to step up their own preparations with the 2019 Wafu tournament scheduled to take place in Ivory Coast in May.
The tournament is designed for West African Football Union national team players plying their trades on their respective domestic scenes although foreign-based players apparently featured in the maiden edition.
So, Esther Sunday, who currently play in Turkey, may be registered for the tournament if allowed.
The first edition hosted by Côte d’Ivoire, which featured 8 countries, 16 games and 62 goals was won by Ghana’s Black Queens who defeated the host nation 1-0 in the final.
Our Super Falcons finished in third place after defeating Mali 2-1. Their semi-finals loss to Ghana still haunts me.
The host nation have been drawn in Group A alongside Benin Republic, Senegal, and the Niger Republic while defending champions Ghana will play Mali, Nigeria, and Guinea in Group B.
The 2019 edition of the WAFU Nations Cup is scheduled to kick off in May, in Abidjan the capital of Côte d’Ivoire.
This is more opportunity for the Super Falcons to build team-bonding with Coach Dennerby honing his strategies ahead of the global showpiece in France come June.