Hugo Broos' Bafana Bafana rise in latest Fifa rankings after impressive 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign

Fifa has released its updated rankings and Hugo Broos' Bafana Bafana have made remarkable progress globally and continentally.

South Africa secured a 2-0 victory over Uganda on their opponent's turf, and triumphed with a confident 3-0 win against South Sudan at Cape Town Stadium, in the latest games of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. 

Consequently, Bafana's global ranking improved by three positions, moving up from 60th to 57th place, and reclaiming a spot in the top 10 in Africa, displacing DR Congo.

Since Broos took over Bafana's coaching reigns, the South Africa national team has made significant improvements, culminating in a third-place finish at the 2023 Afcon finals in Cote d’Ivoire.

Prior to their successful performance in the 2023 Afcon, Bafana Bafana were ranked 66th globally and 12th in Africa, reflecting a period of underperformance for the team.

Additionally, Broos' team has been performing admirably in the ongoing 2026 World Cup Qualifiers.

Bafana Bafana and Broos will now focus on enhancing their continental ranking while aiming to build on their strong form in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers.

South Africa will return to the field in March next year when they resume their World Cup qualifying, starting by facing Benin and Lesotho.