The FIFA ranking of the Indian men’s national football team fell further after its AFC Asian Cup debacle, with the Blue Tigers at 117 in the latest standings announced on Thursday.
India’s fall, of 15 spots from 102, comes as no surprise for football fans across the country, following the team’s first-round exit from the continental tournament in Doha, last month.
The Blue Tigers, playing consecutive Asian Cups for the first time, lost all group-stage games to Australia, Uzbekistan and Syria without scoring a single goal in any of the three matches. To add insult to injury, all remaining teams from its group made it to the round of 16.
This is the latest nadir for the Indian team under head coach Igor Stimac, with his boys reaching the lowest-ever rank with him in charge. Previously, India’s lowest rank under the Croat was 107 in the September 16, 2021 rankings.
QATAR, TAJIKISTAN RISE
The AFC Asian Cup, which saw Qatar become the fifth country to win the title more than once, helped Tintin Marquez’s side rise up the rankings after the successful campaign. Qatar, which became the worst-performing host in a FIFA World Cup in 2022, beat Jordan 3-1 in the final to win the continental trophy.
As a result, it rose 21 spots to 37 in the latest rankings, while runner-up Jordan moved up 17 places to number 70. Tajikistan, on the other hand, was one of the underdogs of the tournament, which punched above its weight to reach the quarterfinals in its maiden campaign, rising upto 99.
Japan’s quarterfinal exit in the Asian Cup means it fell one place down to 18, while South Korea’s run to the semifinal helped it rise a spot to 22 in the rankings.
GAINS FOR IVORY COAST, NIGERIA
Ivory Coast, the African Cup of Nations winner climbed up ten spots to number 39, while the losing finalist Nigeria rose 14 spots up to 28. Morocco remains the top ranked side from Africa at number 12, despite a round of 16 exit from the Cup of Nations.
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