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Malaysia's miserable year got even worse as they fell four places, below Singapore, and dropped to an all-time low FIFA ranking of 174. The Harimau Malaya have failed to win a single match in 2017 and recently suffered back-to-back 4-1 defeats to North Korea to crash out of contention in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. The Koreans rose a remarkable 18 places and now sit above all Southeast Asian nations on 114. The appointment of Nelo Vingada as Malaysia's head coach in May -- handpicked by the new Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) president -- failed to raise performance levels. The Portuguese had presided over six defeats and one draw before the updated FIFA rankings provided further confirmation of the country's footballing decline. Despite also not managing to win a single match in the calendar year, neighbours Singapore managed to rise above Malaysia by climbing three spots to 170, drawing level with Cambodia. While it represents a rise for the Lions, they also failed to mount a serious challenge for a place at the 2019 continental championship in the United Arab Emirates. Southeast Asian champions Thailand jumped an impressive six places to 132, but still lag behind the Philippines and Vietnam. The Philippines remain the top Southeast Asian country, despite dropping two places to 118. Thomas Dooley's side need just a point to clinch their place in the U.A.E., and while they have already sealed qualification, Vietnam dropped four places to 125. Myanmar, who remain in contention for the Asian Cup finals, jumped five places to 150, and Indonesia made an even more impressive leap, rising 11 spots to 153. In contrast, Laos fell further than any other nation as they dropped 22 places to 184, below even Malaysia and Singapore. Overall, it represents a mixed picture for Southeast Asia, but a particularly miserable one for Malaysia as they hit an all-time low.
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