BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – Jamaica are still the highest ranked Caribbean Football Union (CFU) team in the Fifa world rankings, but they have slipped after their dismal performances in the Copa America tournament last month in the United States.
The Jamaicans are now ranked 59th in the latest edition of world rankings released on Thursday by Fifa, the sport’s world governing body, which keeps them the sixth highest ranked team in the Concacaf region, and one of four CFU teams inside the world’s top 100.
According to a news release from Fifa, three continental tournaments, including the Copa, the South American championship, in the United States in which Jamaica were a full participant, and a plethora of international friendlies were served up in June and July.
“With no fewer than 125 matches having been contested across the globe, generating plenty of movement in the latest edition of the men’s world ranking,” the news release stated.
The Reggae Boyz, as the Jamaicans are known, played three matches – all in the Copa – during the last period under review from June 20 and lost all of them.
Goalkeeper Jahmali Waite made eight saves, but Gerardo Artega broke through to give Mexico a 1-0 win in a contest against their Concacaf rivals in their first match in the Copa on Saturday, June 22, at NRG Stadium in the city of Houston in the state of Texas.
West Ham United striker Michail Antonio scored the first goal for the Jamaicans in a Copa tournament, but Ecuador pounded them 3-1 on Wednesday, June 26, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Reggae Boyz exited the tournament when Venezuela beat them 3-0 in their final Group B match on Sunday, June 30, at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas.
Haiti ranked 85th in the world (ninth in Concacaf), Curaçao at 86th on the global stage (10th in Concacaf), and T&T ranked 100th in the world (11th in Concacaf) remain the other three teams in the Fifa top 100 from the CFU, while Suriname at 140th is the fifth highest ranked CFU team globally and 14th in Concacaf.
All have held their positions in the CFU rankings from the previous release of the world rankings, along with the next five CFU teams in the world rankings.
The CFU top 10 in the world is rounded out by St Kitts & Nevis at 146th in the world (15th in Concacaf), Antigua & Barbuda at 148th (16th in Concacaf), Dominican Republic at 150th (17th in Concacaf), Guyana at 154th (18th in Concacaf), and Puerto Rico at 157th in the world (19th in Concacaf).
Cuba holding a world ranking of 167th (up two places) have leapfrogged St Lucia, and they are the 11th ranked team in the CFU and 20th in Concacaf.
