Ireland continue to slide

IRELAND'S stock on the international stage continues to drop with the news that the team has moved down two places to 23rd in the official FIFA rankings.

Brazil are still top with the Czech Republic next in line after the play-off win over Norway that sent them through to next year's World Cup. England stay ninth.

Spain also booked their place in the World Cup next year through the play-offs, and they moved up to sixth.