Despite an unsuccessful campaign in the AFF Suzuki Cup, the Philippine Men’s National Football Team, popularly known as the Philippine Azkals, still topped this month’s Fifa Southeast Asian Region rankings.
The Azkals failed to win a single game in the group stage of the AFF Suzuki Cup held early this month in Bulacan but the Fifa-sanctioned friendly matches against North Korea and Kyrgyzstan help them keep the top post.
In the global rankings, the Azkals will end the year at 120th place overall, dropping three places from last month’s rankings.
The AFF Suzuki Cup champions, Thailand War Elephants, are at the second place in the rankings of the Southeast Asian Region followed by Vietnam.
Thailand is at 126th in the global rankings, while Vietnam is 134th.
Myanmar trailed Vietnam in the Southeast Asia ranking is at the 159th place in the global rankings.
Myanmar had a surprising run in recent AFF Suzuki Cup after securing a berth in the final four. That breakthrough performance helped the team improved its global ranking.
Malaysia is at 161st place and Singapore which is at 165th spot.
Laos is at 167th spot, ahead of AFF Suzuki Cup finalist, Indonesia, which is at 171st.
Cambodia is at 173rd followed by Brunei Darussalam at the 190th. Timor-Leste is at 191st.
Topping the December global rankings of FIFA is former world cup champions Argentina followed by fellow former champion Brazil and 2014 FIFA World Cup champions Germany. Chile and Belgium came in at fourth and fifth, respectively.