The move to 134th in the world will no doubt be a boost for Eddy Etaeta’s side as they continue their preparations ahead of their encounters with Spain, Nigeria and Uruguay in Brazil.
The Solomon Islands national team has undergone the greatest following the defeat to Tahiti and also New Zealand, dropping 15 places to 162 in the world, and fourth in the region.
Following their unbeaten run in the Stage 3 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, New Zealand’s All Whites have retained their lead in the region, and moved up two spots to 86th position alongside Cuba who have the same number of points.
The Cook Islands are the only other OFC member association to move up in the ranking, raising one position to 201, though they still occupy 11th place in the region.
Despite coming close to another upset against the All Whites during the Stage 3 qualifiers, New Caledonia’s loss to New Zealand in Dunedin means they have dropped two positions to 105th.
Vanuatu has dropped four spots to occupy 173th while Fiji and Papua New Guinea have both fallen two spots to 177th and 194th respectively. Samoa, Tonga and American Samoa have all done down one position on the world rankings.
For more on the world game go to www.fifa.com

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