Jordan keeps on sliding in FIFA Rankings

AMMAN — Jordan dropped a further three spots to 116th when the latest FIFA Rankings were issued on Thursday.

Jordan had dropped six spots to 113 in January after it lost 2-1 to world’s 66th ranked Finland and beat 12th ranked Denmark’s second tier U-21 team 3-2 during a training camp in Abu Dhabi amid the preparation agenda for the 2019 Asian Cup finals.

Observers pointed out that facing second tier lineups and not senior teams might not give coaches the outcomes expected.

The team is still out of the Asian top 10, trailing Iran (33) Australia (36), Japan (55), South Korea (58), Saudi Arabia (64), China (68), Uzbekistan (72), Palestine (73), Syria (75), the UAE (78), Lebanon (82), Iraq (85), Oman (101), Qatar India (102). Qatar (103), Vietnam (112), Turkmenistan (113) and Kyrgyzstan (115).

Germany leads World Rankings at No. 1 followed by Brazil, Portugal, Argentina, Belgium, Spain, Poland, Switzerland, France and Chile. Tunisia are the top-ranked Arab team in the 23rd spot, followed by Morocco (42), Egypt (43), Algeria (60) and Saudi Arabia (64).

Jordan ended 2017 at 107th — a position they did not better throughout last year. The team now at 19th in the AFC lagging behind relatively uncompetitive Asian teams compared to their best FIFA Ranking of 37th in 2004. Their lowest ranking of 152nd in 1996.  

Jordan qualified to the 2019 Asian Cup finals after topping Group C eliminating relatively unknown teams in the Asian continent. The Kingdom beat Cambodia 7-0, Afghanistan 4-1, and was held 0-0 with Vietnam. In the return leg, Jordan managed a 3-3 draw with Afghanistan and beat Cambodia 1-0 to qualify alongside second place Vietnam.

Since first taking part in Asian Cup qualifiers in 1972. Jordan reached the Asian Championship three times. the pinnacle was at the 13th Asian Cup when it lost to Japan in the quarter-finals. It also reached the Asian Cup in 2011 and 2015.

After elimination from the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, trying to qualify to the Asian finals was a priority for Jordan, which has steadily slid down FIFA rankings and the team has had an inconsistent two years compared to 2013 when Jordan was on the verge of qualifying to the 2014 World Cup for the first time and advanced to play then World’s 6th ranked Uruguay in an intercontinental qualifying tie. It lost the home game 5-0 and held the former World Cup champs 0-0 in the away match. Jordan had never reached that far in World Cup qualifying since taking part in qualifiers. Round 3 had been the furthest Jordan reached in the past seven times in the qualifiers since 1986.