India jumps to best FIFA rankings in more than ten years

by Diganta Guha
Diganta Guha
0
FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinTumblrRedditWhatsappTelegram

Kolkata: If you thought, Indian football was inching towards the grave, then hold it. According to the January FIFA rankings, India is placed 129th.

The current ranking is India’s best in more than a decade since December 2005 when it was ranked 127th. India incidentally, has climbed 42 places in less than two years. India now has 243 points against its previous tally of 217. India’s jump is noteworthy since it hasn’t played a single international match since September 2016. Argentina with 1634 points leads the table followed by Brazil (1544), Germany (1433), Chile (1404) and Belgium (1368), in the Top Five. The rankings cover 209 countries.

“I think we have had a really good couple of years during my time and while results have been mixed, we have achieved what we said we would. Our ranking is at its highest since 2005 which is obviously great for Indian football. There is, however, a very long way to go where I intend to take Indian football to, but I can say that we have begun our journey,” coach Stephen Constantine who took over an India ranked 171st  in February 2015, was quoted by PTI. The British coach spoke of team spirit and said it was a total team effort.

The year 2016 has been a somewhat fruitful year for the Indian soccer fans, with the country winning 9 of its last 11 matches. In the year end, last year, the Indian team was 135th in the FIFA rankings, its highest annual rankings in seven years. Constantine’s team is 19th in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) list which is led by Iran.

Though, we are still lagging behind and have a lot to catch up on, the current rankings usher in some hopes for fans of Indian soccer. The popularisation of the game thanks to the Indian Super League (ISL), has worked some magic for Indian football. When local players get the opportunity to share the dressing room with some legends of the game, it is always a learning experience.

The I-League has started and already the excitement is building up. Hopefully, the rankings will improve in the days to come.

(With inputs from PTI)