PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):

Cuba stayed number one in the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) rankings for the second month in a row when FIFA issued its latest Coca Cola world rankings yesterday.

After unseating Jamaica as the top team in the region last month and maintaining their unbeaten run in Digicel Caribbean Cup football, the Cubans kept their world ranking of 46th in the December ratings, 11 places above Jamaica.

The Jamaica Reggae Boyz, who suffered a surprise elimination from the Digicel Caribbean Cup and drew 1-1 with Peru in their latest international, climbed one place up FIFA's world list to number 57.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), who upset Jamaica in the Digicel Cup in September, retained third place in the CFU, followed by Trinidad and Tobago in their unfamiliar position of number four.

Eight titles

Trinidad and Tobago, with a remarkable eight Caribbean Cup titles in 12 years of the competition, qualified for their first ever World Cup Finals tournament - appearing in Germany in June - this year.

The T&T Soca Warriors had risen to number one in the CFU for July, August and September before being surpassed by Jamaica in October and slipping further in subsequent months.

Barbados and the Dominican Republic were the biggest movers in the CFU for the December ratings.

The Barbadians, who toppled higher rated SVG while winning Group G of the Digicel Cup's second round at home with an unbeaten label, moved three places up the CFU list to number five.

The Barbadians re-entered FIFA's Top-100 by moving 11 places up to 98th.

The Dominican Republic (DR) were FIFA's biggest world movers, leaping 23 places up to 136th.

The DR beat Antigua and Barbuda and lost to Guadeloupe and Guyana in the Digicel Cup Group H second round, and their FIFA jump earned them a four-place hike on the CFU list to number 11.

High-riding Guyana climbed five places up FIFAÕs list to No.100, becoming the sixth CFU team in the Top 100 world teams.

In the CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football), ratings, Mexico remain No.1 at 20th in the world, while second-rated USA retained 31st position in the world.

Cuba kept their No.3 spot in CONCACAF, ahead of Honduras with Jamaica fourth and Costa Rica at No.5.

Five-time World Cup champions Brazil are still holding the premier spot on FIFAÕs world list, stalked by current World Cup holders Italy, followed by Argentina, with France fourth, England fifth and Germany sixth.