With the effect of an aspirin easing a severe migraine, Bafana Bafana on Wednesday received mild relief on the eve of the forthcoming Confederations Cup tournament from an improved, but still mediocre 72nd Fifa world ranking.
South Africa had been placed in 77th position before the latest rankings were released by Fifa, with the improvement by five places exceeded by Iraq, Bafana’s opponents in the opening Confederations Cup game at Ellis Park on Sunday, June 14.
The Asian champions have improved their ranking by nine places and now fill the 77th position previously held by South Africa.
New Zealand, however, who feature in the same Confederations Cup group as South Africa and Iraq, have slipped down the rankings from 80th position to 84th.
A lop-sided group is completed by Spain, who retain the number one place after an imposing unbeaten record in 31 internationals since 2006.
The second first-round group, which includes current world champions Italy and five-times World Cup champions Brazil, is a good deal more competitive and better balanced, with the 14th-placed United States and 40th-positioned Egypt completing the line-up.
Demonstrating the lop-sided nature of the two groups which Fifa came up with is the fact that the four ranking positions in Bafana’s group amounts to 232 in all — against 63 which is the net sum of the rankings of fourth-ranked Italy, fifth-ranked Brazil, the USA and Egypt.
The two top teams in each group qualify for the Confederations Cup semifinals, with the Group A winners playing the Group B runners-up and vice versa.
Meanwhile, Bafana remain out of the top 16-ranked teams in Africa, who are headed by Cameroon in 21st place. Followed by 30th-ranked Nigeria, 36th-ranked Ghana, 38th-ranked Ivory Coast and 40th-placed African champions Egypt.
And, interestingly, Poland, whom Bafana face in a Confederation Cup warm-up at Orlando stadium on Saturday afternoon, are rated in 39th position by Fifa. — Sapa