PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):

Jamaica's Reggae Boyz, the reigning Caribbean champions, have suffered a slight dip in the latest FIFA World Rankings which were released yesterday.

Despite not having not yet entered the World Cup qualifying campaign, the Jamaicans dropped two places, following a couple of weak performances in friendly internationals over the last month.

The Reggae Boyz were brushed aside in two fixtures against South American opposition when Ecuador overpowered them 5-2 in Quito, and Colombia stopped them 2-0 in Fort Lauderdale in the United States, leaving them in the 78th spot in the rankings. Jamaica is still the number-one ranked team in the Caribbean Football Union (CFU).

Trinidad and Tobago's strong start to qualification for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil has given them a boost with the 'Soca Warriors' making the most significant jump of all the teams in the CFU, moving up 11 places to 80th in the World.

T&T opened their 2014 World Cup campaign with a 1-0 victory over Bermuda on home soil at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, and followed up with a 2-0 win over sporting arch-rivals Barbados on the road in Bridgetown at the National Stadium.

In a shake-up of the top-five, Antigua and Barbuda have achieved their highest standing in the CFU, rising to third following a four-place leap into 102nd in the world.

Cuba have dropped six places to 105th in the world, and are now the CFU number four, but they have been inactive, since they are yet to enter the qualifying phase, while Haiti's comfortable 6-0 winners over the USVI and 4-2 over Curaçao have moved them back into the top five this month at CFU number five, following an eight-place jump - the second highest behind T&T to 108th in the world.

All the other teams in the region have either trended downwards or remain stagnant, with Anguilla the only side to buck this, moving up two places to be 198th in the world and 24th in the CFU.

FIFA noted that the high level of movement in the latest edition of the World Rankings is the result of 170 international matches, of which 109 were World Cup or continental qualifiers, and 61 were friendlies.