Okon Lauds Top 50 Return Under Mosimane
Bafana Bafana defender Ime Okon says South Africa’s rise into the FIFA top 50 should motivate the national team to keep pushing for even higher positions.
Bafana Bafana were ranked 75th in the world when former head coach Hugo Broos took charge in May 2021, but the 1996 African champions have steadily climbed the FIFA rankings over the past five years.
After participating in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Bafana climbed to 55th in the FIFA rankings. With Pitso Mosimane now in charge, South Africa continued their impressive progress during the latest international break, moving up to 48th in the live rankings.
Having defeated Egypt 1-0 in a glamour friendly at Cairo International Stadium on Sunday, Bafana Bafana are set to climb further when the FIFA rankings are officially released on Wednesday.
Under new coach Mosimane, Bafana had started the international break with victories over Guinea and Eritrea in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
For Okon, the improvement is a source of motivation for the players as they look at the teams ahead of them and believe they can continue climbing the rankings.
“It’s really motivating,” Okon said.
“You see the teams that are in front of you and believe that you can actually get more places.
“You can go further up, and it’s very motivating. We just look forward to getting better spots now.”
The 22-year-old defender believes Bafana’s rise is also a reflection of the wider progress being made in South African football, with the country’s academies playing an important role in developing players for the national-team setup.
“Very much headed in the right direction,” he added.
“The academies have been doing well over the past few years, bringing players into the setup.
“I think it’s just a true reflection of South African football at the moment, and we can only go up from here. I also see there is a lot of good work being done.”
South Africa’s recent results across different national teams have further strengthened that belief.
The South Africa U20 side recently won the U20 COSAFA Championship and qualified for the 2027 AFCON, while the South Africa U23 side played two international friendlies against Algeria, winning one and drawing the other.
