Bafana movers, but no shakers in Fifa

SOUTH Africa have moved up one place to number 59 in the latest Fifa World Rankings released yesterday.

Coach Ephraim ‘‘Shakes” Mashaba’s side will have the opportunity to improve that with the Cosafa Cup looming later this month and those matches counting as full internationals.

But with the squad expected to be composed of fringe players from the National First Division and the tier below, they could rather fall further.

Bafana Bafana are at number 15 in the list of African nations, well outside Safa’s target of a regular place in the top three and behind the likes of Gabon and Congo-Brazzaville.

They have at least regained top spot in the Southern African region after leap-frogging Zambia, who are now one place behind in 60 on the global list.

Algeria remain the top-ranked African team and the only side from the continent in the top 20 on the global list. They are ahead of Ivory Coast, Ghana, Tunisia and Senegal in the African top five.

Botswana, who South Africa meet in the quarterfinals of the Cosafa Cup on May 25, remain ranked 104 in the world and 29 in Africa.

Of South Africa’s 2017 African Nations Cup opponents, Cameroon remained at 48 on the global list, while Mauritania have plummeted nine places to 129, the biggest fall of any side in the rankings. Gambia dropped one place to 157.

There was no movement in the top 10 of the global rankings list with world champions Germany still well head on top, followed by Argentina, Belgium, Colombia and Brazil. They are followed by Netherlands, Portugal, Uruguay, Switzerland and Spain.

The Caribbean island of Anguilla, population 13 500, is officially the worst team in the world at 209.