Bafana climb FIFA ladder

Zurich - Bafana Bafana have moved up four positions to No 47 in the latest FIFA rankings released on Wednesday.

Bafana were at No 51 last month.

Soccer World Cup-winners Spain leads the FIFA rankings, and new Asian champion Japan leap into the top 20.

African champions Egypt plummeted from the top 10, down to No 33, because the value of their January 2010 title dropped more than one year on.

Spain heads an unchanged top nine, followed by the Netherlands, Germany, Brazil and Argentina. Greece rise one spot to No 10.

World Cup quarter-finalists Ghana now lead African teams, up one to No 15.

Japan rose 12 to No 17 and head the Asian teams after its continental championship win last weekend.

The United States stay at No 18 to lead CONCACAF teams.

New Zealand at No 64 are Oceania's best.

Qatar rose 15 to No 90 after reaching the Asian Cup quarter-finals.

FIFA rankings for February (January position in parentheses):

1. Spain (1)
2. Netherlands (2)
3. Germany (3)
4. Brazil (4)
5. Argentina (5)
6. England (6)
7. Uruguay (7)
8. Portugal (8)
9. Croatia (9)
10. Greece (11)
11. Norway (12)
12. Russia (13)
13. Italy (14)
14. Chile (15)
15. Ghana (16)
16. Slovenia (17)
17. Japan (29)
18. United States (18)
19. France (18)
20. Slovakia (20)

Also:

47. South Africa (51)