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The Indian national football team have moved up 24 spots to 143 in the FIFA Rankings after the latest release on Thursday. In Asia, India have moved up nine places to 22nd.
This is India’s best ranking since 2010, when they were as high as 142nd, and it comes thanks to the wins over Chinese Taipei (2-1) and Guam (4-0) in the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers earlier this month.
Wim Koevermans’ side might have failed to qualify automatically after losing 1-0 to hosts Myanmar but the wins in the first two games were enough to see a significant rise in their ranking.
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Worryingly as of now, India are not scheduled to play any international match until September 10, when they are expected to face Malaysia in an international friendly. The AIFF must try and arrange more friendlies before that because, if India are not in action for another six months, then they will once again drop significantly in the Rankings.
India will also take part in the SAFF Cup, which will be hosted by Nepal between September 20 and October 2 but it remains to be seen whether the AIFF sends the senior team or the Under-23 side like in the 2009 edition.
The next release of the FIFA Rankings is scheduled for April 16.
