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SAFF championship matches will count for FIFA ranking
10 December 2005
Uploaded: 10.12.2005, 4:30 PM
Ali Umar (L) beating an Afghan defender in the opening
match (WSG)
Karachi, PAKISTAN - The 15 matches of ongoing SAFF championship will be counted for FIFA ranking says Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) President Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat. He also noted that SAFF championship is the World Cup of SAARC countries.
The SAFF Championship is held biannually to promote the development of football in South Asia. Launched at Lahore's Railway Stadium in 1993 as SAARC Gold Cup; since 1997 onwards it is known as the SAFF Championship. The ongoing 2005 event will be fourth under new title SAFF Championship. The first two editions at Lahore (1993) and Colombo (1995) were held as SAARC Gold Cup. Kathmandu (1997), Margao (1999) and Dhaka (2003) were other hosts of SAFF's showpiece biannual event.
“ I hope the 11-day event will elevate the soccer status of region and soon a South Asian team will move into double-figure in FIFA Ranking. Eight SAARC nations are far behind in monthly ranking as compare to national teams of Europe, South and North America, Africa and Australia. None of them are from 1st to 134th position in FIFA World Ranking which is not healthy sign for soccer in the region,” said Faisal who is also Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas,
FIFA, working in co-operation with the Coca-Cola Company, introduced a ranking system for national teams in August 1993. The system makes it possible to publish comparisons of the relative strengths of internationally active teams at regular intervals.
Since its introduction, the FIFA/Coca-Cola Ranking has proved to be a reliable measure for comparing 207 national teams affiliated with FIFA. Taken into consideration for the ranking are all international matches in World Cup, FIFA Confederations Cup, Continental championships and international friendly matches.
Brazil is currently No.1 in FIFA ranking. creeping up behind undisputed supremos Brazil are the Czech Republic in second place after two consecutive victories, followed by Netherlands, Argentina, France, Spain, Mexico, USA, England and Portugal from third to ten spot. All of the current top ten have qualified for the 18th World Cup 2006, whereas Turkey (11th), Denmark (13th), Greece (17th), Uruguay (18th), Cameroon (22nd), Ireland Republic (23rd), Colombia (25th) and Nigeria (25th) will all be conspicuous by their absence from next year’s World Cup in Germany. The next FIFA Ranking will be published, two days after conclusion of SAFF championship, on 19 December 2005.
WORLD RANKINGS OF ALL THE PARTICIPANTS IN SAFF CHAMPIONSHIP
INDIA (135), SRI LANKA (144), MALDIVES (147), PAKISTAN (168),
BANGLADESH (170), NEPAL (181), BHUTAN (189), AFGHANISTAN (198)
ASIAN RANKINGS OF ALL THE PARTICIPANTS IN SAFF CHAMPIONSHIP
INDIA (25), SRI LANKA (29), MALDIVES (30), PAKISTAN (34),
BANGLADESH (35), NEPAL (37), BHUTAN (40), AFGHANISTAN (42)
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