FIFA Ranking shake-up, as Nigeria holds on

World football governing body, fifa's new ranking formula has resulted in some major shake-up across the globe. While some member nations' teams fell prey to the formula, others such as 4th placed at the 2006 World Cup Finals and hosts, Germany and champions, Italy.

Although Nigeria fell a slot down of the best 10 in the world, but the new formula by the body, ensured that the Super Eagles remained the world's 11th best footballing nation and Africa's best.

Both Cameroun and Nigeria, inspite of not nicking a World Cup Finals ticket retained their respective 12th and 11th positions on the Records Book. The latest scorecard of the world's soccer-administering body shows that, current world champions, Italy's Azzurri zoomed to the second place behind the Samba Boys of Brazil - a feat which reflected their 11 slot jump.

The Germans after returning as the 4th placed team at the 2006 Mundial, should have another round of wine glass-clinking and toasting; having been ranked as the 9th best football playing nation in the world. The Machine Team had not achieved such feat in more than two years.

If any nation should also be in a dancing mood following FIFA's new formala, such should be Ghana and Guinea. While Guinea recorded a huge 27 places leap which landed them on the 24th position, Ghana shauntered to the 25 slot with a leap of 23 places on the current ranks sheet released by fifa yesterday for July 2006.

Fifa' new formula makes regional strength and importance of encounters easier to understand. Besides, it has also brought in, the strength of opposing teams and thus introduced remarkable changes in points allocation.

So while in the world, Brazil retains their first spot, Nigeria maintains her first position amongst African nations.WORLD RANKING - 1st 10 - Brazil, Italy, Argentina, France, England, Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Germany and the Czech Republic.

AFRICAN RANKING - 1st 10 - Nigeria, Cameroun, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Egypt, Tunisia, Senegal, Morocco, Togo and Angloa.

AFRICAN NATIONS' POSITION IN FIFA WORLD RANKING - First 15 - Nigeria (11), Cameroun (12), Cote d'Ivoire (20), Guinea (24), Ghana (25),

Egypt (29), Tunisia (31), Senegal (35), Morocco (40), Togo (48), Angola (55), Zambia (62), Mali (63), Zimbabwe (66), Congo DR (67).