The Super Falcons' final round of qualifiers for the Paris Olympics has taken a new dimension after FIFA released their latest Women's rankings on Friday.
With their fiery clash on the horizon, the new rankings have added more spice to the highly anticipated fixture.
The Super Falcons have dropped two places from 32nd to 34th in the global rankings according to the football world governing body.
Super Falcons and Banyana Banyana rule Africa
Banyana Banyana and the Super Falcons have been the best women’s teams on the continent in recent times.
With a deficit of 11.8 points from their previous tally, they still maintained the top spot in Africa ahead of Banyana Banyana, who they will face early next month for a place at the Olympic Games.
Nigeria's tally is 1615.94, up from 1627.12, while South Africa's is 1495.1, down from 1497.54. The top two women’s teams in Africa are battling it out on the rankings.
This year, the Falcons have played two games, both against the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon in an Olympic qualifier.
They held Cameroon to a goalless draw in Douala and then beat the Cameroonians 1-0 in a tense game at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abuja.
South Africa, who have already named their squad for the final play-off tie with Nigeria, moved one place to 51st in the world and are just behind Nigeria in Africa.
This latest ranking will definitely be an impetus for both sides as the Falcons will hope to hold tight to number one spot while South Africa will be looking to upstage Nigeria and claim top spot in Africa.
The last time the two teams met at full international level was the last Africa Women’s Nations in Morocco. Banyana Banyana won that game 2-1 and went ahead to defeat Morocco in the final to win the tournament.
Next month’s Women’s football Olympics decider between Nigeria and South Africa has been generating a lot of discussions in both countries, and the latest FIFA rankings that have seen Nigeria top South Africa has added more vibe to the debates.
Top 10 Women’s teams in Africa
- 1. Nigeria
- 2. South Africa
- 3. Morocco
- 4. Ghana
- 5. Zambia
- 6. Cameroon
- 7. Ivory Coast
- 8. Tunisia
- 9. Mali
- 10. Equatorial Guinea
