India occupy 15th place in the latest AFC Member Association rankings updated on Sunday. The rankings, much like the club ranking system by the AFC follows a complex system of metrics to determine how well the members are represented by their clubs in Asia.
The rankings, which are based on a performance analysis period of four years, see India (27.083 points) right behind 14th placed Syria (27.790).
UAE tops the ranking table with 95.428 points, Korea Republic is in second with 89.128 and Qatar bags the third spot with 82.977 points. With Emirati powerhouse Al Ain through to the quarter-finals of this season’s AFC Champions League and the UAE national team vying to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the top three positions remain unaltered from last month.
With Guangzhou Evergrande and Shanghai SIPG reaching the last eight of this season’s AFC Champions League, China managed to edge past Saudi Arabia to occupy fourth place.
With Bengaluru FC through to the next round of AFC Cup, India will hope to slowly yet steadily climb up the ranking table.
The next ranking in November 2017, will affect the slot allocation for the AFC Champions League and AFC Cup 2019/20.