The Pakistan football team has suffered a significant setback in the FIFA rankings, dropping out of the top 200 following a series of defeats in the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship.
Previously ranked at 195, the Pakistani team’s disappointing performances in both the four-nation cup in Mauritius and the SAFF Championship in India have resulted in their slide down the rankings, now sitting outside the top 200.
After consecutive losses in the tournaments, Pakistan’s ranking has plummeted to 201, with a deduction of 9.05 points.
During the four-nation cup in Mauritius, Pakistan faced defeat in all three matches against Maldives, Mauritius, and Kenya.
Throughout the tournament, they conceded six goals while failing to score any themselves.
The SAFF Championship proved equally challenging for Pakistan, as they failed to secure a single victory. Beginning with a four-goal loss to arch-rivals India, the team suffered another heavy defeat at the hands of semi-finalists Kuwait, conceding four goals.In their final group-stage match against Nepal, Pakistan managed to tighten their defense but still conceded one goal in a match that had no bearing on their progress.
Finishing at the bottom of Group A, Pakistan failed to find the back of the net in any of their three matches, conceding a total of nine goals.
The tournament’s top scorer, India’s captain Sunil Chhetri, netted three goals against Pakistan alone, contributing to his tally of five goals overall.
Despite the inclusion of international players such as Otis Khan and Easah Suliman, both of whom have played professional football in England, Pakistan’s performance in international matches has been disappointing.
Suliman, who captained the U-19 England side, holds the distinction of being the first British-Asian to lead an England team at any level. He played a key role in England’s triumph at the 2017 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, where he even scored the opening goal in the final against Portugal.
Notably, Suliman has shared the field with prominent players like Arsenal’s goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, Trent Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool, and Mason Mount from Chelsea, all of whom have achieved European success.
As the Pakistan football team recently resumed playing international matches following FIFA’s lifting of their ban after five years, it remains to be seen when they will experience a change in their fortunes.