With Bafana Bafana expected to rise in the FIFA world rankings, Soccer Laduma looks at how South Africa have steadily improved in the last four years under Hugo Broos and they can be highly ranked again.
Scrolling further down outside the top 50 countries in the rankings by FIFA has become a normality for Bafana but Broos has made a remarkable turnaround since his appointment in May 2021.
South Africa finished 2020 ranked 71st in the world and 13th in Africa and a few months down the line in the new year under former coach Molefi Ntseki, Bafana had fallen down to 75th.
Under the Belgian, however, Bafana's progress could not be immediately seen in the early stages, after they finished 2021 ranked 68th, largely for not participating at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations tournament, in a qualification period before the former Cameroon coach took over.
By the end of 2022, South Africa were still not making tangible progress, as far as the rankings are concerned, as they were rated number 67 and 12th in Africa by FIFA.
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The rankings, though did not show the true picture of Bafana's progress under the 72 year old by year end of 2022, as Bafana missed out on qualifying for the World Cup in Qatar under controversial circumstances, where Ghana won the last qualifier against South Africa 1-0 through a questionable penalty and edged Broos' charges at the top of the qualifying group on goals scored.
By the end of 2023, Bafana had moved only one place in the FIFA rankings in spite of qualifying for the AFCON.
However, a remarkable performance at the biennial tournament in Ivory Coast was the turning point in Bafana climbing up the ladder.
As a third place finish gave Broos' men a lot of points for them to be current ranked 57th in the world and tenth in Africa.
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Bafana will most likely climb the rankings when they are released on 3rd April.
The last time South Africa were in the top 50 was in October 2011.
Bafana could go further in the rankings if they qualify for the World Cup and have a better showing, as the global tournament carries more weight in terms of points, provided they win.
