Reggaeboyz Web

[rbadmin]

... slip two places to No 95 according to FIFA
CMC
Thursday, August 23, 2007


PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC)
Jamaica, who have enjoyed the most monthly positions at Caribbean Football Union's (CFU) No 1 spot
in the recent years, have slid to No 5 in the region after a two-place drop in FIFA's Coca-Cola world ratings
for August released yesterday.

The Reggae Boyz are now ranked No 95 on the world list - a mere one spot below their lowest ever rating.

Now coached by the famous Yugoslav-born Bora Milutinovic, the Jamaicans have an average
position - since the world ranking creation - of 52 and are anxious to recover their customary midway
spot on the Top-100 world list.

The Jamaicans had plunged from No 68 in June to 93rd last month as a result of huge losses to Iran (1-8 ),
Vietnam (0-3) and Indonesia (1-2) during their recent Asian tour.

Meanwhile, Trinidad & Tobago's Soca Warriors remained a clear No 1 in the CFU rankings and Guyana
snatched an all-time best position. The 2006 World Cup (Finals) qualifiers secured a two-spot rise on
FIFA's world list to 63rd, a hefty 25 spots ahead of their nearest CFU rivals in the world ratings.

Haiti improved four places to become the new second-ranked team with a No 88 FIFA ranking, and
improving Guyana, now 90th in the world, made a 10-place jump to be No 3 in the CFU.

Guyana's position is their best ever in FIFA's world ranking. The Cubans - relegated from No 2 in the region
- are now No 4 with a No 91 FIFA label.

The biggest climbers in August are newly crowned Asian champions Iraq, surging 16 places to No 64
in the world.

Of all the teams rated in FIFA's Top-100, Iraq were the only side making a bigger leap than the Guyanese,
who have enjoyed steady progress in the past year under Trinidadian coach Jamaal Shabbaz.

Apart from the reshuffling of the top five teams, the CFU's Top-10 is the same as it was in July, with
St Vincent & the Grenadines, 104th on the world list, remaining sixth on the CFU log, which is completed
by Barbados, 119th in the world, Suriname (123rd), and Bermuda (130th), with Antigua & Barbuda (131st)
in 10th position.

T&T, eight-time Caribbean champions, are now up to sixth in the CONCACAF (Confederation of
North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football), ratings.

Mexico, semi-finalists at last month's Copa America, kept their No 1 spot in CONCACAF although they
slipped one place on FIFA' world list to No 11. The USA stayed second with a world rating of 17th.

CONCACAF's No 3 team is Costa Rica, at 52nd in the world, followed by Canada (53rd), Honduras
(57th) and T&T.

Meanwhile, Brazil stayed top of the world in no change to the top five, with Argentina - whipped 3-0 by the
Brazilians in the Copa America final - at No 2. The Italians are at three, followed by France, and Germany.

CFU Rankings - Aug 2007 (world ranking in brackets)
1 Trinidad & Tobago (63)
2 Haiti (88 )
3 Guyana (90)
4 Cuba (91)
5 Jamaica (95)
6 St Vincent & the Grenadines (104)
7 Barbados (119)
8 Suriname (123)
9 Bermuda (130)
10 Antigua & Barbuda (131)
11 Dominican Republic (140)
12 St Kitts & Nevis (141)
13 Bahamas (149)
14 Grenada (156)
15 St Lucia (158)
16 Turks & Caicos Islands (166)
17 Netherlands Antilles (177)
18 British Virgin Islands (179)
19 Dominica (184)
20 Cayman Islands (185)
21 Puerto Rico (194)
22 Anguilla (196)
23 US Virgin Islands (199)
23 Montserrat (199)
23 Aruba (199)