Bafana plummet to lowest FIFA ranking in five years after Cape Verde defeats
Image: Sydney Mahlangu /BackpagePix
South Africa’s back-to-back World Cup qualifier defeats to Cape Verde have seen them plummet down the latest FIFA World Rankings released on Thursday‚ dropping 14 places to number 80 in the world.
The losses that likely ended their bid to reach Russia 2018 have seen Cape Verde shoot up a staggering 47 places and leap-frog Bafana Bafana‚ who are now listed as the 18th best team on the African continent.
That is well below SAFA’s stated aim of being regularly in the top three on the CAF list and within the top 20 in the world.
It is Bafana’s lowest ranking since they slipped to number 87 in 2012‚ with the team’s average ranking since the start of the Rankings in 1993 being 51.
Egypt stay top of the African list‚ with Tunisia now having moved into second place ahead of Senegal.
DR Congo and a resurgent Nigeria round out the top five‚ with Ivory Coast‚ for so long the top team on the continent‚ now in ninth.
Germany have moved back to the top of the global list‚ followed by Brazil‚ Portugal‚ Argentina and Belgium.
Poland‚ Switzerland‚ France‚ Chile and Colombia round out the top ten.
Central American side Guatemala endured the biggest fall this month‚ dropping 31 places to number 131‚ while the top climbers were Cape Verde thanks to their Bafana double.