The Philippines moved up one spot in the official rankings, from No. 49 to No. 46, passing Myanmar (No. 50) from the March list and trailing ASEAN powerhouses Thailand (No. 44), Vietnam (No. 32), and Australia (No. 10).
This could give the Filipino players more confidence as they prepare for the World Cup, where they will play higher-ranked opponents like host New Zealand (No. 26), Switzerland, and Norway (No. 12).
After failing to advance past the semifinals in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, the squad recently had a disastrous performance.(Romeo Braceros Jr.)