MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine national men's football team ended 2017 on a sorry note as they dropped six spots in the latest FIFA world rankings.

The Azkals are now ranked 124th in the world, and 22nd in Asia.

This comes after the Azkals rose to their second-best ever ranking of 116th back in October.

However, a goalless draw to Nepal in their Asian Cup qualifier last November cost the Azkals precious points, aside from denying them of a chance to qualify to the 2019 Asian Cup.

They also suffered a shocking loss to Timor Leste in the Chinese-Taipei Football Association International Tournament earlier this month.

The Azkals are in for a crucial 2018, as they play Tajikistan in a must-win game in March. Tajikistan is ranked two spots below the Philippines in the FIFA rankings.

The top 35 remains unchanged, with Germany holding on to the No. 1 spot while Brazil is at No. 2. Portugal, Argentina, and Belgium round out the top five.

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