China drop in Fifa rankings after nightmare World Cup start
- Li Tie’s side down to 75th globally after starting Qatar 2022 qualifiers with defeats to Australia and Japan
- Hong Kong sit between eSwatini and Gambia after slipping one place to world No 148
They were 71st in the previous rankings and have dropped four places in the month since the previous rankings were announced, during which they lost their opening two games in the third stage of Fifa World Cup qualifiers.
China lost 3-0 to Australia and 1-0 to Japan in their first two matches of the final stage of Asian qualifiers for the Fifa World Cup next year.
Group B’s bottom side China face Vietnam and Saudi Arabia next month in their next two qualifying matches for Qatar 2022, with only the top two teams in the six-team groups guaranteed of a place at the World Cup.
Australia and Saudi Arabia lead the way in group B, six points clear of China after two matches, while Iran and South Korea are the top two in group A.
Despite falling in the standings, where they sit between North Macedonia and Guinea, Li Tie’s side remain the ninth best team in Asia.