<p>On the day India hit their lowest ever FIFA ranking, the country's soccer chief said he was eyeing a place at their first World Cup<a href="http://in.reuters.com/subjects/cricket-world-cup-2011"> finals in Qatar 2022.</a></p>.<p><a href="http://in.reuters.com/subjects/cricket-world-cup-2011">The country of 1.2 billion people dropped one place to 169th in the latest FIFA rankings released on Wednesday, behind Aruba, Nepal and Maldives.</a></p>.<p><a href="http://in.reuters.com/subjects/cricket-world-cup-2011">Sepp Blatter, the head of the world soccer's governing body, has called India a 'sleeping giant' but the country obsessed with all things cricket continues to slide into soccer mediocrity.</a></p>.<p><a href="http://in.reuters.com/subjects/cricket-world-cup-2011">Indian soccer heads, though, believe there is cause for optimism.</a></p>.<p><a href="http://in.reuters.com/subjects/cricket-world-cup-2011">"We have undertaken a 10-year development program. We are hopeful of qualifying for the World Cup by 2022," the All India Football Federation President Praful Patel told reporters on Wednesday.</a></p>.<p><a href="http://in.reuters.com/subjects/cricket-world-cup-2011">"India should be one of the teams to play in Qatar. FIFA has gone out of its way to see that India emerges as a strong footballing nation."</a></p>.<p><a href="http://in.reuters.com/subjects/cricket-world-cup-2011">After a bye, India were beaten 5-2 on aggregate by United Arab Emirates in the second round of Asian qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil last year.</a></p>.<div><p><strong>Deccan Herald is on WhatsApp Channels </strong>| <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/specials/deccan-herald-is-now-on-whatsapp-heres-how-you-can-join-2698271">Join now for Breaking News & Editor's Picks</a></p></div>
<p>On the day India hit their lowest ever FIFA ranking, the country's soccer chief said he was eyeing a place at their first World Cup<a href="http://in.reuters.com/subjects/cricket-world-cup-2011"> finals in Qatar 2022.</a></p>.<p><a href="http://in.reuters.com/subjects/cricket-world-cup-2011">The country of 1.2 billion people dropped one place to 169th in the latest FIFA rankings released on Wednesday, behind Aruba, Nepal and Maldives.</a></p>.<p><a href="http://in.reuters.com/subjects/cricket-world-cup-2011">Sepp Blatter, the head of the world soccer's governing body, has called India a 'sleeping giant' but the country obsessed with all things cricket continues to slide into soccer mediocrity.</a></p>.<p><a href="http://in.reuters.com/subjects/cricket-world-cup-2011">Indian soccer heads, though, believe there is cause for optimism.</a></p>.<p><a href="http://in.reuters.com/subjects/cricket-world-cup-2011">"We have undertaken a 10-year development program. We are hopeful of qualifying for the World Cup by 2022," the All India Football Federation President Praful Patel told reporters on Wednesday.</a></p>.<p><a href="http://in.reuters.com/subjects/cricket-world-cup-2011">"India should be one of the teams to play in Qatar. FIFA has gone out of its way to see that India emerges as a strong footballing nation."</a></p>.<p><a href="http://in.reuters.com/subjects/cricket-world-cup-2011">After a bye, India were beaten 5-2 on aggregate by United Arab Emirates in the second round of Asian qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil last year.</a></p>.<div><p><strong>Deccan Herald is on WhatsApp Channels </strong>| <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/specials/deccan-herald-is-now-on-whatsapp-heres-how-you-can-join-2698271">Join now for Breaking News & Editor's Picks</a></p></div>