TT f/ballers second in the Caribbean

ZURICH: Eight-time Caribbean Cup champions Trinidad and Tobago reclaimed the number two spot in the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) on Monday when FIFA’s December ratings listed them ahead of Cuba. Cuba and Trinidad and Tobago have been exchanging places — between two and three — since mid-year as the region’s second best team behind top-ranked Jamaica, and the Cubans have held number two since September. After eliminating Trinidad and Tobago in the CONCACAF Gold Cup qualifying competition in March, Cuba had earned their first jump to number two in July — on the strength of a Gold Cup quarter-final showing.

But the Spanish-speaking country slipped 13 places down in the past month from 62nd to 75th on the world list, allowing Trinidad and Tobago, who climbed one place up to 70th, to regain second in the CFU. Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz, rated 46th in the world, remain the highest rated Caribbean side in CONCACAF at fourth, behind Mexico, seventh in the world, the United States (11th) and Costa Rica (17th). Apart from TT moving ahead of Cuba, there is no other positional change in the CFU’s top-10 as Haiti, 96th in the world, stay fourth, followed by Barbados (124th), and St Lucia (130th). St Kitts and Nevis (134th) are seventh in CFU, and the top-10 is completed by Grenada (154th), Suriname (158th), and St Vincent and the Grenadines (169th). Current world champions Brazil remain a clear number one ahead of France and Spain, with the Netherlands fourth, followed by Argentina, the Czech Republic, Mexico, England and Turkey, with Italy 10th.

Ranking of CFU teams
 (world ranking in bracket)
1 Jamaica (47th); 2 Trinidad and Tobago (70th); 3 Cuba (75th); 4 Haiti (96th); 5 Barbados (124th); 6 St Lucia (130th); 7 St. Kitts/Nevis (134th); 8 Grenada (154th); 9 Suriname (158th); 10 St. Vincent and the Grenadines (169th); 11 Antigua and Barbuda (170th);12 Dominican Republic (171st); 13 British Virgin Islands (175th); 14 Cayman Islands (181st); 15 Guyana (182nd); 16 Bermuda (183rd); 17 Dominica (185th); 18 Netherlands Antilles (188th); 19 Bahamas (193rd); 20 Aruba (195th); 21 Anguilla (198th); 22 US Virgin Islands (199th); 23 Puerto Rico (200th); 24 Turks and Caicos Islands (203rd); 25 Montserrat (204th).