The Bolivia bungle, during which Bafana Bafana became the first team to lose a home game against South America’s most unfashionable soccer nation in more than 10 years, has cost South Africa a place among the top 60 in Fifa’s monthly rankings.
The ratings, which were released by Fifa on Wednesday, show South Africa slipping from 60th spot to 61st position, descending in the process from 12th to 13th in the African rankings.
South Africa lost 1-0 to Bolivia in a friendly international at Ellis Park in what was coach Carlos Alberto Parreira’s second official game at the helm of Bafana, with the deflating result emanating three days after the 3-0 away victory over Chad in an African Nations Cup qualifier.
World Cup champions Italy return to the number one spot in the Fifa rankings after being displaced briefly by Argentina, who now occupy second position ahead of five-time world champions Brazil.
Cameroon, the highest-ranked African nation, are placed 13th in Fifa’s world rankings, with the second-placed African country, Côte d’Ivoire, in 25th position.
Bafana next play an international fixture against Malawi in the Cosafa Cup on May 27. — Sapa
Fifa’s leading World and African rankings are:
World rankings:
1. Italy 1 604 pts
2. Argentina 1594 pts
3. Brazil 1 520 pts
4. France 1 496 pts
5. Germany 1 393 pts
6. Netherlands 1 302 pts
7. Portugal 1 292 pts
8. England 1 278 pts
9. Spain 1 237 pts
10. Czech Republic 1 169 pts
African rankings (with world rankings in brackets)
1.Cameroon (13th)
2. Ivory Coast (25th)
3. Nigeria (27th)
4. Ghana (28th)
5. Egypt (39th)
6. Mali (40th)
7. Senegal (40th)
8. Tunisia (44th)
9. Morocco (48th)
10. Guinea (50th)
11. Burkina Faso (55th)
12. Angola (57th)
13. South Africa (61st)