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latest Fifa/Coca-Cola world rankings released yesterday.
Norman Mapeza’s men fell 2-1 to Cape Verde in their final 2012 African Cup of Nations Group A qualifier in Praia on October 8 to surrender their chase for a place at the tournament to co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

That defeat has also seen the Warriors fall from 66th into 74th on the global football rankings.
Mapeza’s charges also slid two places down the African charts where they are now ranked 16th.
The Warriors had been riding on a crest since June when they marked their revival mission by beating Mali 2-1 in a Group A assignment at Rufaro.

The win, which came via a Knowledge Musona brace, saw the Warriors jump a massive 39 places up the ladder.
They followed the win over Mali with another deserved victory over neighbours Zambia in an international friendly at Rufaro.
A 3-0 thumping of Liberia in another Nations Cup qualifier then followed but this time at the National Sports Stadium.

It was after the two wins over Zambia and Liberia that the Warriors enhanced their rise on the global standings and even grabbed the attention of Fifa with the world body saluting the strides that Mapeza’s youthful outfit was making.

But any dreams that the likes of Khama Billiat, Willard Katsande, Tafadzwa Rusike, Vusa Nyoni and Musona would make their Nations Cup debut in January next year, evaporated in the heat of Praia as their defeat by Cape Verde meant they finished third in Group A with eight points.
Mali eventually won the group after accumulating 10 points, the same as Cape Verde but the Eagles edged the Blue Sharks on a better head to head record.

According to the latest ratings released by Fifa, Zimbabwe accumulated 448 points during the period under review while Cape Verde, who were ranked 91st in the world and 22nd in Africa, were one of the biggest movers by gaining a massive 25 places.

The Warriors made history by qualifying for their maiden Nations Cup finals held in Tunisia in 2004 and then repeated the feat when they secured a place at the 2006 edition in Egypt.
But it has been a tale of misses since then with the Warriors having to watch from a distance as the top 16 teams on the continent battled it out every two years. A glimmer of hope had, however, shone when

Mapeza’s men shook the off-field controversy that had stalked them with three coaches taking charge in the week that preceded their home clash against Cape Verde, to bounce back into contention.
Before their 2-1 win over Mali, the Warriors, their pride severely battered by accusations that they were paid to lose their matches on trips to Asia, had been on a free-fall that saw them being rated 126th in the world.

But when they jumped 39 places, it not only helped the Warriors to bounce back into the top 100 but also guaranteed them their best rating of 87 which they had last scaled in 2007, ironically the year that the Asiagate trips began.

In the July rankings, Zimbabwe moved one place up but remained the 22nd best team in Africa.
Another big climb was to follow in the August review when they gained 12 places to ease into 74th.

They then continued their rise when easing into 66th after Fifa had reviewed the teams’ performance for September.
However, any hopes of probably finishing the year in the top 50 flew away with the loss in Praia that came after skipper Method Mwanjali made two costly first half blunders from which his team never recovered.
Ironically Mapeza and his players had stressed, while in Cape Verde, that they had set themselves a target of winning against their hosts, first to enhance their Nations Cup qualification chances and secondly, to continue with glide up the Fifa rankings.

Mapeza has made no secret of his wish to see the Warriors return to Africa’s top 10, and teh world top 50.
But the former Monomotapa coach, who has been guaranteed an extended stay at the helm of the Warriors by Zifa, will have to wait a little longer before he can achieve his wish.

Cote d’Ivoire’s Elephants, one of the first teams to secure places at the 2012 finals remain the best African team although they slipped three places down to 19 on the global rankings with 898 points.
Reigning African champions Egypt, who, however will not be part of the Gabon/Equatorial Guinea jamboree are the continent’s second best side ahead of 2010 World Cup quarter-finalists Ghana who have 734 points.

Algeria, Senegal, Nigeria, Cameroon, South Africa, Burkina Faso and Morocco complete the top 10 African slots.
World Cup winners and European champions Spain, with 1 624 points, are still the best in the world with Netherlands in second place on 1 425 points.
Germany and the South American pair of Uruguay and Brazil complete the world’s top five list.