Despite comfortably securing their qualification for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations with a 3-2 away victory against Sierra Leone in June and a convincing 6-0 win over Sao Tome and Principe in September, the Super Eagles of Nigeria have seen a slight decline in the latest FIFA men's rankings.

The global football governing body has placed them one spot lower than their previous ranking, moving them from the 39th position to the 40th spot in the most recent world rankings. However, it's worth noting that Nigeria maintains a position within the top 6 in Africa, which is a positive development for the three-time AFCON champions.

This ranking ensures that the Super Eagles will be among the top-seeded teams when the draw for the AFCON takes place later in 2023, ahead of the tournament scheduled to begin in Ivory Coast in January.

FIFA's rankings also indicate that Morocco, who finished fourth in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, hold the highest ranking among African teams, securing the 13th spot globally. Interestingly, the reigning African champions, Senegal, have slipped to 20th in the world and are ranked second in Africa.

Tunisia has shown improvement, moving from the 31st spot to the 29th highest-ranked team in the world, according to the rankings released by FIFA on Thursday, September 21, 2023.

Completing the top five teams in Africa are Algeria in 34th place and Egypt in 35th place, with the Super Eagles of Nigeria occupying the 6th position on the continent.

On a global scale, Argentina, the World Cup champions, hold the top spot in the rankings, followed by France, Brazil, England, and Belgium.