THE Philippine men’s football team found something to smile about on Thursday when it moved up in the world rankings.
Coming off a heartbreaking runner-up finish in the Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup last week, the Azkals jumped 11 places to 129th in the latest International Football Federation (Fifa) rankings.
The Filipino booters gained ranking points from their victories against Maldives in the semifinal, and Turkmenistan and Laos in the group stage, as well as their draw against Afghanistan. The rise can also be attributed to the results of the past few months as well to those of the past four years.
The Azkals thus maintained their status as the second-best team in Southeast Asia behind 123rd-ranked Vietnam, and 19th in the continent.
The ranking is two spots shy of their best mark achieved last December.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph