The Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) has failed to secure a spot among the top ten leagues on the African continent, according to the latest rankings by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS).
The IFFHS is a globally recognized organization dedicated to documenting football history, records, and statistics.
They regularly publish data evaluating the performances of players, clubs, and leagues over specific periods.
On Friday, the organization released its global league rankings, which subsequently revealed the hierarchy of domestic football across Africa.
Notably, no African league reached the global top 15. The Egyptian Premier League remains the continent's standard-bearer, ranking 1st in Africa and 16th worldwide.
Latest rankings of the world’s strongest leagues by IFFHS for CAF teams (January–December 2025):
• 🇪🇬 Egypt – 16th (World)
• 🇲🇦 Morocco – 39th (World)
• 🇿🇦 South Africa – 45th (World)
• 🇩🇿 Algeria – 46th (World)
• 🇹🇳 Tunisia – 51st (World)
• 🇹🇿 Tanzania – 54th (World)
•… pic.twitter.com/hl4fWTRXGT— Leagues Reporter (@LeaguesReporter) January 23, 2026
North African leagues continue to dominate the top five. Morocco boasts the second strongest league in Africa (39th globally), followed by South Africa in third place (45th globally).
The Algerian Ligue 1 ranks 4th in Africa (46th globally), while the Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 rounds out the top five (51st globally).
The remaining leagues in Africa’s top ten include the Tanzanian Premier League, DR Congo’s Linafoot, Mali’s Ligue 1 Orange, Angola’s Girabola, and the Ivorian Ligue 1.
Where Does the NPFL Rank in the IFFHS Rankings?
According to the IFFHS data, the NPFL is currently ranked as the 12th strongest league in Africa and 91st in the world.
This low standing comes as little surprise to many, as the NPFL has faced consistent criticism regarding its organization and quality of play in recent years.
Also, Nigerian clubs have struggled significantly in continental competitions; no Nigerian side has claimed a major African title in nearly two decades.
As it stands, Nigeria's presence on the continental stage is thinning, with only one team remaining in CAF’s major club tournaments (the Champions League and Confederation Cup).
However, stakeholders remain hopeful that ongoing reforms will lead to measurable improvements in the coming years.
