The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas Football Association’s senior men’s national programme has hit rock bottom with its worst ranking ever.

In the latest update of the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Rankings released yesterday, the Bahamas is ranked as the worst country in the world, tied at 208 with Anguilla.

They were the only two countries to earn zero points in the ranking system and the Bahamas has dropped eight spots since the last update.

Their last appearance on the international stage was an 8-0 aggregate loss to Bermuda in April in the first leg of FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 Qualifiers.

The first leg at home was a 5-0 loss followed by a 3-0 loss on the road in Bermuda.

In 2011, the Bahamas withdrew from the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification after defeating the Turks and Caicos by an aggregate score of 10-0 in the first round.

The 6-0 win over Turks and Caicos was the biggest win for Team Bahamas on the international stage.

Their biggest defeat was a 13-0 loss on the road to Mexico in 1987.

In 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification, they tied with the British Virgin Islands with a 3-3 aggregate score, but followed with a pair of lopsided losses to Jamaica 7-0 and 6-0.

The Bahamas’ highest ranking was 146 which came in 2006 during their run in 2007 Caribbean Cup qualification. They went 2-4 in the qualifiers, including wins over Turks and Caicos and the Cayman Islands.

According to FIFA: “The basic logic of these calculations is simple: any team that does well in world football wins points which enable it to climb the world ranking. A team’s total number of points over a four-year period is determined by adding the average number of points gained from matches during the past 12 months and the average number of points gained from matches older than 12 months (depreciates yearly).”

The senior men’s national team programme was founded in 1969 and the BFA joined FIFA in 1968.

Since 1993, the Bahamas has had an average world ranking of 180 debuting at 167 in 1993.

Additionally, as a member of the Bahamas Olympic Association, the BFA has provided national soccer teams to participate in regional games, Pan Am Games, CAC Games and pre-Olympic competition.

Teams attended the CAC Games in Panama in 1970, Dominican Republic in 1974 and 1986, Cuba in 1982 and the Pan Am Games in Cali, Colombia in 1971.