Post by LUHG on Jul 12, 2011 12:47:52 GMT
www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/wales/8631252/Wales-sink-below-Faroe-Islands-to-114th-in-the-Fifa-rankings.html
Jakup Emil Hansen, who is studying for a masters in political science, wrote to his home football association after spotting that Wales were wrongly placed above the Faroese in the world rankings.
Hansen calculated that the Faroes have 0.07 points more than the Welsh after their recent 2-0 win over Estonia and, after the Faroese FA wrote to Fifa to point out the error, the rankings were adjusted.
Both sides are still ranked 114th in the world – Fifa’s website credits each with 273 points – but the Faroes are now listed ahead of Wales.
To be ranked beneath a nation of fewer than 100,000 people would be bad enough, but the change also has potentially damaging implications for Gary Speed and his team as they attempt to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
The next set of Fifa rankings will be published on July 27 and will determine seeding for the 2014 qualifying draw in Rio de Janeiro two days later.
Wales would be in the bottom group of seeds, alongside the likes of Andorra. The Faroes, however, would be in the pot of seeds above.
Jakup Emil Hansen, who is studying for a masters in political science, wrote to his home football association after spotting that Wales were wrongly placed above the Faroese in the world rankings.
Hansen calculated that the Faroes have 0.07 points more than the Welsh after their recent 2-0 win over Estonia and, after the Faroese FA wrote to Fifa to point out the error, the rankings were adjusted.
Both sides are still ranked 114th in the world – Fifa’s website credits each with 273 points – but the Faroes are now listed ahead of Wales.
To be ranked beneath a nation of fewer than 100,000 people would be bad enough, but the change also has potentially damaging implications for Gary Speed and his team as they attempt to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
The next set of Fifa rankings will be published on July 27 and will determine seeding for the 2014 qualifying draw in Rio de Janeiro two days later.
Wales would be in the bottom group of seeds, alongside the likes of Andorra. The Faroes, however, would be in the pot of seeds above.
