JAMAICA'S REGGAE Boyz have climbed eight spots in the latest FIFA Coca-Cola rankings which puts the national team at 90th in the world and second in the Caribbean - behind Cuba.

Since plummeting to an all-time low of 103 in October last year, it has been a slow but steady progression in the right direction for the Boyz, who have jumped 13 places since then. Under the new Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) administration, which took office in November last year, a full strength national team has taken part in three friendly internationals. The team beat El Salvador 3-0, got by Guatemala 2-0 and then secured a 1-1 draw with 71st-ranked Costa Rica at the National Stadium last week.

However, the Boyz still have a long way to go before they can achieve an average of 70th to ensure that local-based players can continue to get work permits in the United Kingdom (UK) and overseas-based players already plying their trade there can have them renewed.

Denied permit

According to the stipulations of the UK home office, a player's country must be at or better than 70th in the official FIFA world rankings when averaged over the last two years preceding the date of the application, before they can be considered for a contract.

Recently, first-string national goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts was denied a permit which would have allowed him to move from English Second Division team Bradford City to Championship side Queens Park Rangers.

A disastrous 2006 saw the team, then under the tutelage of technical director Velibor Milutinovic, use only local players on a tour of Asia and saw some disastrous results, including losses to teams ranked in the the 100s.

Mexico remain the top team in CONCACAF at 16th, followed by the US at 26th. It's then Honduras (50th), Canada (58th), Panama (63rd), Costa Rica (71st) and Cuba.

In the Caribbean, the Reggae Boyz remain ahead of key rivals Trinidad and Tobago, who are 98th, and Haiti (100th). Jamaica will play Trinidad and Tobago in their next friendly international scheduled for March 26.