Despite securing four points in their recent 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, Bafana Bafana has dropped two places in the FIFA world rankings.

Prior to these matches, Bafana Bafana was ranked 57th, but they have now slipped to 59th. This decline is primarily due to the strong performance of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has risen two places to 58th.

In the CAF rankings, Bafana Bafana has also dropped one place from 10th to 11th, with DR Congo moving into the top 10.

One notable event that may have contributed to the ranking drop was Bafana Bafana’s 2-2 draw against Uganda at Orlando Stadium. The match was marred by a costly error from goalkeeper Veli Mothwa, who allowed the ball to slip through his fingers and into the net. Despite trailing, Bafana Bafana managed to salvage a draw thanks to a late goal from midfielder Thalente Mbatha.

Mbatha also played a crucial role in Bafana Bafana’s 3-2 victory over South Sudan four days later. However, both Uganda and South Sudan are lower-ranked teams (Uganda at 90 and South Sudan at 172), which may have limited the impact on Bafana Bafana’s ranking.

FIFA’s ranking system also considers a team’s performance in international tournaments over the past five years. Uganda’s qualification for the 2019 AFCON and South Sudan’s relative inexperience (having gained independence in 2012) may have worked against Bafana Bafana.

To improve their ranking, Bafana Bafana will need to secure six points in their upcoming 2025 AFCON qualifiers against Congo. Failure to do so could result in a further decline in their ranking.