Azkals reach highest FIFA world ranking anew

The Azkals are also still at third in the region, as Vietnam fell three places to 132 in the world while Thailand fell five places to 140, with little change in the rest of Southeast Asia. Biggest movers Kyrgyzstan were the biggest movers of the rankings, jumping 59 places from 201st in the world into 142nd, and ahead of the Philippines. The reason for their giant leap was they had just one game in 2012, a 5-2 friendly loss to Kazakhstan, meaning their drop was due to a lack of games, not quality. Inside the top ten, meanwhile, Croatia rose five places from ninth place into fourth, while England dropped from fourth to seventh. Still, continentally, European and South American nations filled the top ten with Spain, Germany, and Argentina retaining their respective top three positions. Five-time World Cup champions Brazil though, dropped one place into their worst-ever ranking as they fell to 19th place. Challenge Cup opponents World Cup qualification is the long-term goal for the Azkals, while the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup in the Maldives is the next major competition for the country. They will therefore be taking note of the change in their rivals’ rankings ahead of that tournament, and after climbing nine places in the rankings, Turkmenistan are in more familiar territory at 131 overall. Turkmenistan is still the highest-rated nation in the Challenge Cup despite finishing second in Group E, as the Philippines had home field advantage during the qualification stage. Afghanistan also moved up two places, into 139th in the world, after winning Group C with two wins and a draw. Kyrgyzstan’s 100 percent record in Group B gave them enough points to jump to third in the list of Challenge Cup competitors, with the Philippines fourth. However the Azkals are certainly contenders for 2014 if they have a full squad, not least because of their victory over Turkmenistan. If the Philippines can win the AFC Challenge Cup, they will also qualify for the 2015 Asian Cup as a result, and Coach Weiss spoke of this goal in the post-match conferences during the Qualifiers. 2013 for the Azkals There are few games scheduled in 2013 for the Philippine National Football team so far, though manager Dan Palami and coach Michael Weiss noted they will be looking at organizing some friendly matches later on in the year. The Peace Cup could also be repeated as last September, Guam, Macau, and Chinese Taipei all spoke of their interest in returning to the Philippines. The SEA Games are also later this year too, with the development of the U-23 team an important factor for 2013, and that could well see the Peace Cup squad filled with U-23 players in preparation. With the UFL improving every year, the members of the Philippine National football team are also getting regular, competitive football in the league, a sure sign of development in a country’s footballing landscape. As such, fans can catch their favorite players and teams at the Emperador Stadium each week, while waiting for news on who the Philippines will face in friendlies later this year. Those friendlies will take place after the current UFL season finishes, with the Philippines starting 2013 with three victories out of three and looking impressive on the pitch.  - Roehl Niño Bautista / CLP / AMD, GMA News