Bafana Bafana to climb up FIFA rankings

Bafana ended 2023 in in 66th position overall in the FIFA world rankings, having shown a minor overall improvement throughout the calendar year after qualifying for the Afcon tournament.

ALSO READ: ‘Football can be hard’ – Hugo Broos reacts after Nigeria defeat

Hugo Broos’ charges ultimately went on to reach the semi-final stage of the continental tournament, ultimately losing their semi-final 4-2 on penalties against Nigeria on Wednesday.

ALSO READ: Bafana to battle DRC for third place

Notably, according to the latest predictors, the impressive performance of Bafana Bafana is set to see them rise five places to 61st in the world rankings, just below Burkina Faso.

ALSO READ: Early odds: Bafana may win ‘bronze’ at AFCON 2023

BAFANA ARE SET TO RISE IN THE FIFA RANKINGS

HUGO BROOS PROVIDES HINTS ABOUT FUTURE

Bafana will still hope to come out on top in the third-place Afcon playoff, which would further add to their rankings points, while further solidifying Broos’ future as coach.

“First of all I never said that I should stop – I never said it,” Broos told journalists when asked about his future, as quoted by iDiski Times. “It was only when you talk about my age and then I think it’s normal that you think about ‘yeah, maybe it’s time that I’m going to stop’.

“But I never said that I’m going to stop or that I stop. So again I’m very happy in my job as I said a few days ago. The guys give me a lot of satisfaction, a lot. I’m proud as a coach to be a coach of that team.

QUESTION | Will Hugo Broos retire after Afcon?

Bafana will take on the Democratic Republic of Congo in that battle for the bronze medal after the second semi-final saw hosts Ivory Coast eke out a narrow 1-0 win over DR Congo.

The third-place playoff will take place on Saturday, 10 February at 22:00 (SA time).

The final is scheduled for exactly 24 hours later.

ALSO READ: ‘Football can be hard’ – Bafana coach reacts after Nigeria defeat