Bafana plunge in rankings

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 No 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 leapfrog Bafana, who are now the 18th-best team in Africa.

That is well below the SA Football Association's stated aim of being regularly in the top three on the CAF list and world top 20.

It is Bafana's lowest ranking since they slipped to No87 in 2012, with the team's average ranking since the start of the Rankings in 1993 being 51.

Egypt stay on top in Africa and Tunisia move to second place ahead of Senegal. DR Congo and Nigeria round out the top five, with Ivory Coast, for so long the top team in Africa, now in ninth.