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Super Eagles rise to 41st in latest FIFA world rankings 

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Nigeria’s Super Eagles have climbed four places to 41st in the latest FIFA Men’s World Rankings, reclaiming a spot among Africa’s top five football nations.

The rankings, released on Friday, signal a notable upturn for Nigeria, who moved up from 45th position after a series of strong performances in recent months.

READ ALSO: Super Eagles grind out 2-1 win over Lesotho in World Cup qualifiers 

The three-time African champions have also overtaken Ivory Coast, who now sit 42nd globally.

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Nigeria’s advancement comes on the back of impressive results in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign — including a 2–1 victory over Lesotho in Polokwane and a dominant 4–0 win against Benin Republic in Uyo.

Those performances not only improved the team’s ranking points but also ensured qualification for the African playoffs in the 2026 World Cup race.

Up next, the Super Eagles are scheduled to face Gabon — ranked 77th worldwide and 15th in Africa — in a decisive fixture that could see them meet either Cameroon or DR Congo in the final playoff round.

Across the continent, Morocco remain Africa’s highest-ranked side despite slipping one place to 12th globally. Senegal are second on the continent and 18th in the world, followed by Egypt in 32nd and Algeria in 35th. Nigeria now completes the top five African teams, with Ivory Coast, Tunisia, Mali, Cameroon, and South Africa rounding out the top ten.

On the global stage, Spain continue to lead the world rankings, cementing their dominance after back-to-back World Cup qualifying victories against Georgia and Bulgaria. France also remain strong contenders for North American qualification, though a 2–2 draw with Iceland after a 3–0 win over Azerbaijan slowed their progress.

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Meanwhile, reigning world champions Argentina have climbed back into second place, boosted by friendly wins over Venezuela and Puerto Rico.

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Diallo’s stunning volley earns United late 2-2 draw on Amorim’s anniversary 

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Manchester United salvaged a point against Nottingham Forest with Amad Diallo’s spectacular volleyed 2-2 equalizer in the closing stages, marking exactly one year since Ruben Amorim took charge of the club.

The visitors opened the scoring through Casemiro’s header following a disputed corner decision.

READ ALSO: United secure back-to-back EPL victories with a dramatic 4-2 win over Brighton 

Officials ruled that Nicola Savona’s clearance of Bryan Mbeumo’s delivery had crossed the touchline, though video evidence appeared inconclusive about whether the entire ball had gone out of play.

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Despite holding their interval advantage, United’s hopes of climbing to second place evaporated early in the second period. Forest overturned the deficit within five minutes through Morgan Gibbs-White, who converted Ryan Yates’ cross, before Savona capitalized on defensive confusion to put the hosts ahead—ending their four-game scoring drought.

Rather than collapse, Amorim’s men responded with 81 minutes played when Amad struck brilliantly from distance after Forest partially cleared a set piece. United nearly snatched victory in stoppage time, but Amad’s goal-bound effort was hacked away on the goal line.

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Palace end winless run with dominant victory over Brentford

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Crystal Palace snapped their winless streak with a convincing 2-0 triumph over Brentford, who had been enjoying strong form.

Jean-Philippe Mateta broke the deadlock with an exquisite arcing header that sailed beyond Caoimhin Kelleher’s reach into the far corner, adding spark to an otherwise dull opening period.

READ ALSO: Palace edge Liverpool in shootout to win Community Shield 

The striker had previously netted three times in Palace’s thrilling stalemate with Bournemouth two weeks earlier.

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Despite defeating Liverpool in their previous outing, Brentford struggled throughout the first half. Their best opportunity to level came when Mikkel Damsgaard stepped up to take a free kick from a promising position after Daichi Kamada’s foul, but he blazed his attempt well over.

Brentford’s misery deepened shortly after halftime when Nathan Collins deflected Jefferson Lerma’s long delivery past his own goalkeeper, doubling Palace’s advantage.

Collins nearly compounded his error by surrendering possession to Ismaila Sarr in a dangerous area, though the Senegalese forward’s shot struck the woodwork.

Reiss Nelson tested Dean Henderson late on with a curling strike, but Oliver Glasner’s side comfortably preserved their clean sheet.

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Relentless Arsenal cruise past Burnley to seal ninth straight win 

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Arsenal maintained their perfect winning streak with a dominant away performance against Burnley, extending their run to nine consecutive victories across all competitions.

Viktor Gyokeres and Declan Rice found the net as the league leaders secured their fifth straight league triumph, establishing a seven-point gap at the summit, though some rivals have matches in hand.

READ ALSO:  Eze shines as Arsenal claim shock victory over Palace at Emirates

Mikel Arteta’s men overcame a Burnley outfit known for defensive resilience and riding high after successive wins. Arsenal’s set-piece prowess—league-leading this campaign—proved decisive when Gyokeres tapped home from Rice’s corner delivery.

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Martin Dubravka denied Bukayo Saka with an acrobatic stop before Leandro Trossard saw his attempt cleared off the line. Rice then doubled the advantage before halftime, meeting Trossard’s lofted pass with a powerful header.

The hosts enjoyed greater possession after the restart and threatened through Florentino Luis, whose close-range header sailed over, while Marcus Edwards rattled the frame of the goal with a late free kick.

Beyond that brief scare, Arsenal cruised through their eighth victory in ten league matches this season. The 2-0 defeat leaves Burnley hovering just four points above the relegation zone in seventeenth position.

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