The Indian national football team experienced a decline to the 121st position in the latest FIFA rankings for men, announced on Thursday (April 4, 2024), marking their lowest ranking in the previous seven years. This downturn in ranking follows a challenging international period, during which the Blue Tigers managed to secure just one point from a potential six against the 158th-ranked Afghanistan in Group A of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers (Asian sector).
The team’s overall points have dropped 19.23 points in the newly released rankings, to 1145.94. Despite this slip, India maintains its position as the 22nd-ranked team within the Asian Football Confederation.
India’s Recent Form in International Games has been appalling
Following a disappointing showing at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, where Sunil Chhetri and his teammates failed to net even a single goal, India plummeted to its lowest ranking during coach Igor Stimac’s tenure, falling 15 places to 117th.
Expectations were high for a turnaround during the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers matches in March, as India was set to play against the comparatively lesser-ranked team, Afghanistan. Nevertheless, the team’s performance was unbalanced and uninspiring, culminating in a goalless draw in their first match and a defeat at home in the subsequent game, where India lost a 1-0 lead in the latter half of the match.
The road ahead for the Indian football team in the upcoming qualification matches appears uncertain, raising significant concerns about how the All India Football Federation (AIFF) plans to address the team’s recent performances.
On the eve of India’s home game against Afghanistan, coach Stimac issued a firm statement to the media. He declared, “If I don’t lead India to the third round, I will resign, taking my dignity and respect with me, along with everything achieved over the past five years. I’ll hand over my role to someone else.”
Fans have grown impatient with Stimac, calling for him to be sacked due to the lack of progress. The AIFF, however, has been unable to pull the trigger because of the cost of sacking the manager. They want him to stay and then leave on his own if the team fails to qualify for Round 3 of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, as Stimac proclaimed.
