by TINTSWALO BALOYI
JOHANNESBURG – BOTSWANA and Mauritania are jointly the two most improved nations in the Federation of International Football Federations (FIFA)/Coca-Cola World Ranking over the past month.
Botswana soccer national team
Mauritania (107th) and Botswana (146th) each climbed three places up the rankings.
This rise defies games in the men’s game being few and far between in the August edition of the global rankings.
In the Top 50, there were almost no changes from the previous edition.
Brazil (1st), Belgium (2nd) and Argentina (3rd) still occupy the podium places.
Their immediate pursuers remain in the same order they were in June.
Only Iran (22nd, plus 1) and FIFA 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar (48th, plus 1) move up one place apiece.
Outside the Top 100, in addition to the aforementioned African duo, Mozambique (116th, plus 2) and Angola (120th, plus 2) also made up ground among Confederation of African Football (CAF) sides.
“With a raft of international games to come, in September in particular, we can expect a lot more movement in the next edition,” FIFA forecast in a statement accompanying the rakings update.
The next FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking will be published on October 6. Continental champions, Senegal, remain the highest ranked Africa side, at 20th.
– CAJ News
