Guyana’s Golden Jaguars have slipped to an astounding 118 place in the latest Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) rankings released on Wednesday.
According to the FIFA website, the Jaguars have slipped six places down the ranking in what was a bad month on the football charts for most of the Caribbean countries.
The Golden Jaguars have lost both of their two previous Friendly matches against a full strength Trinidad and Tobago and Antigua by 0-3 margins.
FIFA ranks countries based on game results with the most successful teams being ranked the highest.
A points system is used with points being awarded based on the results of FIFA-recognized international matches.
Also if a country is inactive, or has lost to lower ranked teams, they are sure to have a significant drop in their rankings.
Guyana’s lowest-ever ranking on the FIFA ranking table was 185 in 2004 and they have had an average ranking of 157 since the FIFA ranking was established in 1992.
But it has not been all downhill for the Jaguars who played almost two years unbeaten and was given a ranking of 90 after that feat.
The Guyana team is preparing for the next round of matches of the Digicel Caribbean championships, the tournament which propelled them to their highest ranking ever.
The Jaguars will attempt to better their performance as compared to the last Digicel tournament and have already signaled their intentions of doing so by winning their group which was staged here in August.
But it will not be an easy task.
They are grouped with St Kitts, Trinidad and Tobago and Antigua for matches which begin on November 5 at the Marvin Lee stadium in Trinidad.
Most of the Cari-bbean’s top football countries have fallen significantly based on their previous performances.
Trinidad and Tobago, following the 0-3 defeat they suffered at the hands of the USA in their World Cup Qualifiers has dropped eight places down to 88, while Cuba, the second highest-ranked Caribbean team moved six places down to 98.
Some Caribbean countries had something to be happy about; Haiti moved thirteen places up to 104 and Barbados enjoyed a 20 place move up to 114 while Jamaica slipped eleven places down to sit behind the Barbadians on 113.
In the battle of the power houses, European Champions Spain remained atop the points standings followed by World Champions Italy, second, Germany third, Brazil fourth, Netherlands fifth, Croatia sixth, Argentina, seventh, Czech Republic eighth, Russia, who is continuing to climb following some superb matches ninth and Portugal, tenth. (Rawle Toney)
