Bafana Bafana Move Up in Latest FIFA Rankings After Avoiding Defeat Against Nigeria
- South Africa have moved up in the latest FIFA rankings, with their bitter rivals Nigeria dropping a place
- Bafana Bafana are currently on a good run under Hugo Broos, and they avoided defeat during the last international break
- Bafana Bafana's new position on the latest FIFA ranking gathered different reactions from South Africans on social media
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Bafana Bafana have broken new ground in the latest FIFA ranking after avoiding defeat in their World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Nigeria during the last international break.
South Africa is currently top of Group C in the World Cup qualifying phase, and they did a good job of maintaining their lead after defeating Lesotho 3-0 at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein, before holding the Super Eagles to a 1-1 draw at the same venue a few days later.
Bafana Bafana were ranked tenth in the last FIFA ranking, but they’ve now moved up in the new list released by the football governing body.
Bafana move up in latest FIFA ranking
Bafana Bafana's recent performance has given them the edge as they moved up one place in the latest FIFA rankings, securing the ninth spot among Africa’s top footballing nations.
Hugo Broos’ side are unbeaten in 22 matches and now stands on the verge of securing qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
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Their impressive run has also propelled them up the FIFA rankings, as they leapfrogged Mali to claim the 55th spot overall. Morocco, host of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, remains the highest-ranked team on the list.
The Atlas Lions are ranked 11th overall and first in Africa. They are followed by the Teranga Lions of Senegal, who are ranked 18th overall.
South Africa's fellow 2025 AFCON group mate, Egypt, is ranked third in Africa and 35th overall. Algeria is fourth, while Ivory Coast moves ahead of Nigeria to claim fifth place, with the Super Eagles now sixth in Africa.
Meanwhile, Spain has surged to the top of the FIFA rankings, pushing Argentina down to third after also being overtaken by France.
Top 10 African nations in the latest FIFA ranking:
1. Morocco (11 overall)
2. Senegal (18)
3. Egypt (35)
4. Algeria (38)
5. Ivory Coast (44)
6. Nigeria (45)
7. Tunisia (46)
8. Cameroon (52)
9. South Africa (55)
10. Mali (56)
Reactions to Bafana's latest FIFA rankings
UKwaneleZN wrote:
"There's a certain FC that will still hate him for not picking their players even though we are moving forward as a country! 😂"
Goodnews Abua said:
"I don't see that as an improvement yet. Bafana Bafana should be among the top 5 in Africa and top 20 or 30 in the world. Go and win AFCON and stop getting eliminated at Quarter-final and semi-final stages. Qualify for the World Cup and make impact there."
KayWest23 shared:
"Lol they just do not wanna put us top 5 in Africa🤣🤣 we always move just one spot but once we lose we drop about 3 to 4 spots🤣"
Izzy Moks commented:
"At some point we were around 75, Papa Broos has dug us out of gut."
ourpreacher added:
"We think Bafanabafana must be ranked higher in Africa. Who agrees with me?"
FIFA launches disciplinary process on Mokoena
Briefly News earlier reported that FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against SAFA and Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Teboho Mokoena over the contentious yellow card incident in March.
The Bafana Bafana star played against Lesotho during the FIFA World Cup qualifier despite having accumulated two yellow cards that should have made him ineligible.
Source: Briefly News
