Nigeria have retained their position as the highest-ranked women’s football team in Africa, following the latest FIFA Women’s World Ranking published on June 12, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Despite a marginal increase of just 0.8 points, which saw them rise from 1622.49 to 1623.29 points, the nine-time African champions remain the continent’s best, holding firm at 36th in the world.

The rankings reflect matches played since the last update on March 6, 2025, in which Nigeria didn’t play any game but returned for two games against Cameroon in the May-June international window, recording one win and cancelling the other.

South Africa continues to trail Nigeria as the continent’s second-best side, ranked 54th globally with 1488.49 points. However, Banyana Banyana dropped 1.57 points from their previous tally of 1490.06, despite an impressive four-match winning streak.

Morocco, one of Africa’s best performers at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, dropped eight points to settle at 1419.63, falling to 60th in the global standings.

Cameroon made the most notable progress among African teams, despite losing their only game in the last international window to Nigeria. The Indomitable Lionesses climbed two places up to 64th with a 7.3-point increase to 1396.2.

Zambia, who continue to show promise on the continental stage, slipped slightly to 65th after losing 4.67 points. The Copper Queens’ recent form has been patchy, drawing twice and losing twice.

Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire remain unchanged in terms of points, each holding steady at 66th and 72nd, respectively. Both nations had mixed results, with Ghana recording a loss and a draw, while the Ivorians claimed a win and a draw.

Further down the African rankings, Mali (78th), Senegal (81st), and Algeria (82nd) all recorded no points change, each drawing all their fixtures in the match window.

Globally, the United States remain top despite a recent defeat to Brazil. Spain and Germany are closing in, while Brazil’s resurgence, including a victory over the Americans, has propelled them to fourth place. Egypt, Africa’s biggest climber, moved up seven places to 93rd, marking the most significant leap in the global rankings.

The next FIFA Women’s World Ranking update is scheduled for August 7, 2025, 10 days after the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations while the men’s ranking is scheduled to be officially released by the global governing body on July 10, 2025.