The New Zealand women's football team are back among the world's top 20 nations after equalling their highest ever position in Fifa's world rankings, released late last week.
The Football Ferns moved up one spot to 20th, reaching the same mark they briefly achieved in March 2005, and their tally of 1802 rankings points is their highest ever.
The move comes on the back of a recent third-placed finish at the Cyprus Cup, built on wins over Scotland, Switzerland and Italy. Their only defeat was to eventual winners England.
Fifa's women's rankings use a different system than the male equivalent and are subject to less fluctuation - the top 10 remained unchanged overnight apart from England moving to joint seventh - so upward movement is hard earned.
"We've been knocking at the door of the top 20 for recent years and edging ever closer," said New Zealand coach Tony Readings. "So it's a significant milestone for us as a team and one measure of our progression.
"We're consistently holding our own against top tier nations now and beating the next tier on a regular basis. The more we can do that and knock over some big names on the way to the next World Cup and Olympic Games then the more we'll keep inching up that table.
"Ultimately, the medal table is the one the team want to be on but these things can sometimes reinforce the work you're doing to achieve that."
The Football Ferns' next confirmed match is on June 20 away to world champions Japan - who remains third in the rankings behind USA and Germany - with en-route matches against ninth-ranked Australia under discussion with Football Federation Australia.
