FIFA rankings: Indian football team drops four places to 121
New Delhi, Apr 4: The Indian football men's team dropped four places to 121 in the latest FIFA rankings, its worst in recent years, following an embarrassing 1-2 defeat against Afghanistan in the second round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in Guwahati last month.
The Igor Stimac-coached side, which had broken into the top-100 last year, having won the Intercontinental Cup, the Tri-Nations tournament and the SAFF Championship, on March 26 suffered a shocking defeat at home to lowly-ranked Afghanistan to continue its poor run of late.
Even though the team registered a win against Kuwait in the World Cup qualifiers, its first away win in over two decades, the forgettable outing at the AFC Asian Cup 2023 in Qatar, where the side lost all its matches without scoring a single goal, saw it plummet 15 spots to 117th after the continental tournament.
India ended their Asian Cup campaign in January pointless and goal-less after losing to Australia (0-2), Uzbekistan (0-3) and Syria (0-1). It finished at the bottom of the four-team Group B.
Last month, the Blue Tigers were held to a goalless draw by Afghanistan in their first leg second round World Cup qualifiers in Abha, Saudi Arabia, and then lost the home fixture, prompting outrage from fans and calls for sacking of Stimac.
India's worst ranking, though, is 173.
Before dropping 15 places to 117 in March, the Indian team was placed at 102nd in the FIFA rankings, issued on December 21, 2023.
Reigning world champions Argentina continue to top the chart followed by 2022 World Cup runners-up France, England, Belgium and Brazil.
Netherlands occupy the sixth place and they are followed by Portugal, Spain and Italy with Croatia completing the top 10.
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Samrat Choudhary govt wins trust vote in Bihar assembly
Patna (PTI): The Samrat Choudhary-led NDA government in Bihar won the vote of confidence in the state assembly on Friday.
Choudhary moved the motion, proposing that "the House reposes its trust in the current council of ministers in the state", during a one-day special session.
The motion was passed by a voice vote in the 243-strong House, where the BJP-led NDA enjoys a brute majority with 202 seats.
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Choudhary became the first BJP leader to head a government in the state earlier this month following the resignation of JD(U) president Nitish Kumar, who gave up the top post upon getting elected to the Rajya Sabha.
Only two JD(U) leaders, Vijay Kumar Chaudhary and Bijendra Prasad Yadav, were inducted into the new cabinet and designated as deputy chief ministers.
Besides the JD(U), the BJP-led coalition in the state includes LJP(RV) of Union minister Chirag Paswan, HAM headed by Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwaha's RLM.
The five-party coalition won 202 seats in the elections held in November last year.
