THE Myanmar women’s football team, runner-up at last year’s
South East Asia Games, has been ranked 41st in the world in FIFA’s
latest global football rankings, jumping eight spots from last
year, while the Myanmar men’s team dropped one place to
153rd.
Germany lead the women’s rankings, followed by the US,
North Korea, Norway, Brazil, Sweden and Japan in seventh place.
Myanmar archrival and 23rd SEA Games champion Vietnam climbed
11 ranks in the women’s rankings to 34th place and became
the South-east Asia’s leading contender.
Myanmar Football Federation technical director and a coach of
U-19 Women’s team U Soe Myint Lwin said Myanmar women’s
world-ranking rise had been influenced by good regional performances.
“I think Myanmar now has a higher position because we
have already qualified for the 2006 Asian Cup, along with Taiwan
(Chinese Taipei) and Thailand. Another reason is our second prize
at the SEA Games in Manila,” he said.
In FIFA’s 1998 rankings, the Myanmar women’s team
was recognised as an advancing force, jumping 13 international
places. At 41st, the team now sits between Israel and Greece.
Rival South-east Asian football powerhouse Thailand rose eight
positions in the women’s rankings to 58th place. The Thai
men’s team, however, dropped seven places to 116 despite
winning gold at the 2005 SEA Games.
Leading the men’s rankings was, predictably enough, Brazil,
followed by the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Sweden, Portugal,
Spain, Argentina, England, France and Denmark at number 10.
At 153rd, the Myanmar men’s team is placed between Eritrea
and Kyrgyzstan. Myanmar was eliminated in the first round of the
SEA Games in the Philippines.
Runner-up of the SEA Games Vietnam, currently facing a match-fixing
scandal, has been downgraded one place to 138, followed by Malaysia,
which fell five ranks.
Singapore leapt 12 positions to 121, while Indonesia is dropped
four to be placed 128.
New member of the Asian football ozone Australia raised its
game with a 12-place to be ranked 52nd.
Team |
Rank in SEA |
Rank in World |
Change since 2004 |
Vietnam |
1 |
34 |
+11 |
| Myanmar |
2 |
41 |
+8 |
| Thailand |
3 |
58 |
+8 |
| Philippines |
4 |
95 |
+2 |
| Indonesia |
5 |
98 |
+2 |
| Singapore |
6 |
104 |
0 |
| Malaysia |
7 |
111 |
-3 |
Team |
Rank in SEA |
Rank in World |
Change since 2004 |
Thailand |
1 |
116 |
-7 |
| Singapore |
2 |
121 |
+12 |
| Indonesia |
3 |
128 |
-4 |
| Vietnam |
4 |
138 |
-1 |
| Malaysia |
5 |
139 |
-5 |
| Myanmar |
6 |
153 |
-1 |
| Laos |
7 |
180 |
-3 |
| Phiplippines |
8 |
190 |
0 |
| Cambodia |
9 |
191 |
0 |
| Brunei |
10 |
195 |
0 |
| East Timor |
11 |
202 |
-1 |
