Bafana Bafana Move Up the FIFA Rankings After Mosimane’s Winning Return
- Pitso Mosimane’s winning return has brought an immediate boost to Bafana Bafana’s position in the latest live FIFA rankings
- South Africa have moved four places from their last official position after collecting three points against Guinea
- The result has also lifted Bafana into the top 10 among African nations in the latest ranking picture
PAY ATTENTION: Mark Briefly News as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!
Source: Twitter
Bafana Bafana have moved up the FIFA rankings after Pitso Mosimane began his second spell as South Africa coach with a 2-1 victory over Guinea on Saturday, 26 September 2026.
South Africa were 54th in FIFA’s last official ranking, released on 20 July. The latest live ranking data now places Bafana 50th in the world, representing a four-place improvement. Their points total has risen to 1,460.12, up by 8.87 points from the previous 1,451.25.
The movement comes after a busy international window in which several teams around South Africa have also gained or lost ranking points.
FIFA, however, makes an important distinction. Its live rankings are provisional, while the next official update is scheduled for 7 October 2026. FIFA says the ranking remains unofficial until all relevant matches are approved as international ‘A’ fixtures.
PAY ATTENTION: You can now search for all your favourite news and topics on Briefly News.
South Africa now ninth in Africa
The latest ranking movement also places Bafana Bafana ninth among African nations. Morocco lead the continental standings in sixth place globally, followed by Senegal in 18th, Egypt in 24th, Nigeria in 26th, Algeria in 29th, Côte d’Ivoire in 31st, DR Congo in 41st and Cameroon in 43rd.
South Africa sit immediately behind Cameroon at 50th, giving Mosimane’s side a top-10 African ranking after their opening AFCON qualifying victory.
The points gap also shows how tightly packed the rankings are. Bafana’s 1,460.12 points put them just behind Chile and ahead of Peru in the latest table.
Guinea win gives Mosimane early momentum
The ranking movement follows Bafana’s 2-1 win over Guinea in their opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
Ime Okon gave South Africa the lead before Seydouba Cisse equalised. Substitute Samukelo Kabini then scored the late winner to secure the three points. The result also means Mosimane has started his return with a competitive victory.
Bafana now face Eritrea on 30 September, followed by Egypt on 4 October. Those matches come before FIFA’s next official ranking update.
A second victory would give South Africa another opportunity to add ranking points, although the eventual movement will also depend on results involving other nations.
For now, Mosimane’s return has coincided with Bafana moving from 54th to 50th in the live rankings and into ninth place in Africa.
Source: Twitter
Mosimane praises 2 Bafana Bafana stars after Guinea win
Briefly News previously reported that Pitso Mosimane was pleased with several aspects of Bafana Bafana’s 2-1 AFCON qualifying victory over Guinea, but two players stood out after his winning return.
The coach highlighted the performances of Olwethu Makhanya and Ime Okon, while also pointing to an area Bafana Bafana must improve despite securing all three points.
PAY ATTENTION: Follow Briefly News on Twitter and never miss the hottest topics! Find us at @brieflyza!
Source: Briefly News
