Bafana Bafana end the year in 81st place on the global FIFA rankings

South Africa will end 2017 unchanged at number 81 in the latest FIFA World Rankings released on Thursday‚ though one of their Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier opponents have plummeted 11 places.

Bafana Bafana are now the 17th best side in Africa according to the rankings‚ well below SAFA’s stated goal of being regularly in the top three.

Nations Cup opponents Libya have dropped massively to number 88 in the world though‚ falling behind Bafana.

The teams will meet in their next continental qualifier‚ which has now been shifted from March to September.

Bafana’s other qualification opponents‚ Nigeria‚ dropped one place to number 51‚ while Seychelles fall three places to number 192.

Only Eritrea and Somalia‚ who have no rankings points‚ are behind them on the African list.

Senegal remain the leading side on the African continent‚ followed by Tunisia‚ Egypt‚ DR Congo and Morocco.

There is no change in the top five teams in the world‚ with the list headed by Germany‚ who are followed by Brazil‚ Portugal‚ Argentina and Belgium.