India, who suffered humiliating defeats in their last two matches against Japan and Oman in the football World Cup qualifiers, are ranked a dismal 143rd in the latest world rankings released by FIFA on Wednesday.

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India, now on 314 points, maintained their 143rd position after slipping four places in the June rankings.

Since December 2003, the team's ranking has gone down at an alarming rate, losing 16 places from No. 127.

India, who had lost to Oman 1-5 at Kochi in March and 0-7 to Japan in June, take on Japan in their return match in the Asian qualifying round Group 3, in Kolkata on September 8.

They are now third in the four-team group with just three points, secured from the win against Singapore in Goa on February 18.

Their other recent result was a 1-1 draw against Indonesia in a friendly match in Jakarta on June 3.