India achieves best FIFA rankings in 6 years

The Indian football team achieved its best FIFA ranking in over six years when the side jumped 11 places to be 137th in the latest list released.

India, who defeated 114th ranked Puerto Rico in an International Friendly in Mumbai in September 2016, garnered 230 points for the month.

In August 2010, India were ranked 137th which stayed India's best ever FIFA Ranking since then.

National Coach Stephen Constantine sounded delighted but wasn't willing to read too much into it. "When I came over for my second stint, one of my tasks was to improve our FIFA Rankings. With the results which we have had so far, it is clear that we have succeeded," he told media.

"It's been a total Team effort. Unless Mr. Praful Patel (AIFF President ) and Mr. Kushal Das (AIFF General Secretary) allowed me to do the things and the manner I wanted it to be done, this won't have been possible ever," he stressed.

"But this is just the beginning of the long-term plan which we envisage for Indian Football. I am certainly not over the moon as I feel my Team can achieve much more," he stated.

India were ranked 171st when Constantine took over as National Coach for the second time in February last year and slipped to 173rd in March even before Constantine could have his first game in-charge against Nepal, which India eventually won 2-0 on aggregate.

Constantine mentioned about the impact the national team has made after reducing the average age from around 32 to 24.

"We have been able to reduce the average age of the team from around 32 to 24 which is very significant indeed," he quipped.

"The AIFF Academies were set with a purpose and if you look at my Team, there is continuity. We have introduced so many youngsters from the AIFF Youth Development setup and also from the AIFF scouting network," he maintained.