Bafana Bafana Move Up in Latest FIFA Rankings After Third Place Finish at AFCON 2023

• South Africa have moved up on the latest FIFA rankings released on February 15
• Bafana Bafana's performance at the AFCON 2023 reflected in the new rankings
• Hugo Broos' side are one of the best movers alongside Nigeria on the rankings

South Africa have moved up on the latest FIFA rankings after their stellar performance at the just concluded 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, where they finished third.

Hugo Broos' side started the tournament badly as they lost to Mali 2-0 in their first group game, but a 4-0 win over Namibia and a goalless draw against Tunisia sealed their place in the Round of 16.

Bafana Bafana caused one of the major upsets in the competition as they knocked Morocco out in the second round before defeating Cape Verde in the quarter-finals on penalties.

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A loss against Nigeria on penalties in the semi-final ruled out their chance of playing in the final, but a win over the Democratic Republic of Congo in the playoffs secured their third-place finish.

Bafana Bafana's impressive outing in Ivory Coast has been reflected in the latest world ranking, as they move to the top ten in Africa for the first time after so many years, according to iDiskiTimes.

South Africa are now ranked 58th in the world and 10th in Africa, with Morocco still retaining the first place on the continent and 12th in the world.

Bafana Bafana's opponent in the AFCON 2023 semi-final, Nigeria, moved up 14 places on the rankings as they are not third in Africa and 28th in the world.

Broos upset by Foster’s decision

Sports Brief previously reported that Broos is upset by Lyle Foster's decision not to play for South Africa at the AFCON 2023 in Ivory Coast.

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The Burnley striker missed seven games between October and November 2023 due to a personal matter but returned to full action for the English Premier League side a few weeks before AFCON started.

The Belgian manager also claimed that he needs more clarity about why Foster couldn't join them in Ivory Coast.