The Super Eagles were ranked 52nd by FIFA.
The Super Eagles ended 2012 on the FIFA Rankings on a high after moving five steps to finish the year on the 52nd spot in the December edition of the monthly rankings released on Tuesday. The Eagles were ranked 57th in November.
The Eagles had started the year in the 45th position and sixth on the African continent but will now end the year occupying tenth spot in Africa behind the Elephants of Ivory Coast who are the highest ranked African team going into next month’s Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.
Algeria, Mali, Ghana, Zambia, Egypt, Gabon, Tunisia, Central Africa Republic are the other African teams rated above Nigeria in the World rankings.
Meanwhile, World and European Champions, Spain, has completed a full year atop the FIFA rankings, and Brazil has plummeted to No 18.
The 2014 World Cup host has dropped while playing only non-competitive matches, and failed to win important ones.
Recently, Brazil lost to Argentina, which remains at Number 3, and drew with Colombia, which rises to Number 5.
Spain leads Number 2 team, Germany; while European Championship finalist, Italy, are at Number 4. England is Number 6, and Europe fills all places through Switzerland at No 12.
The results of 143 internationals have been taken into account for the current edition of the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking. In 2012, the results of 900 matches have been taken into account, more than half of which were friendlies (465, 52 per cent) and more than a quarter of which were qualifying matches for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil (257, 29 cent).
According to the statistics from FIFA, The ‘Mover of the Year’ goes to Colombia for the second time since the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking was introduced in 1993. Los Cafeteros finished 2011 in 36th, but thanks to six wins, one draw and only one defeat thereafter – and the 455 points they consequently earned – they end 2012 in fifth position.
It has also been a very successful year for Ecuador (13th, up 365 points since December 2011) and Mali (25th, up 337 points since December 2011).
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