Shillong, Aug 1: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has announced the appointment of Khalid Jamil as the new head coach of the Indian men’s national football team — making him the first Indian in 13 years to lead the senior side.
The 48-year-old, who is currently the head coach of Jamshedpur FC in the Indian Super League (ISL), is best known for his incredible feat in 2017, when he guided Aizawl FC to a historic I-League title. That win which till date was considered one of the greatest underdog stories in Indian football. The I-League champions with Aizawl has earned Jamil widespread respect for his tactical mind and leadership skills.
His appointment was finalised by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) executive committee, after shortlisting three names: Jamil, former India coach Stephen Constantine and ex-Slovakia coach Stefan Tarkovic. The list was recommended by the AIFF’s Technical Committee, headed by Indian football legend IM Vijayan.
Jamil takes over from Spaniard Manolo Marquez, who stepped down last month after a series of poor performances by the national team. His first major challenge will be the upcoming CAFA Nations Cup, scheduled to begin on August 29 in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
A former midfielder, Jamil represented India 40 times and played club football for Mahindra United, Air India, and Mumbai. After injuries forced him to retire early in 2009, he turned to coaching — starting with Mumbai FC.
Since then, he has managed some of India’s top clubs including Mohun Bagan, East Bengal, Aizawl FC, NorthEast United and Jamshedpur FC.
Notably, he became the first Indian head coach to lead an ISL club on a full-time basis, and also the only Indian coach to reach the ISL playoffs, a feat he achieved with NorthEast United in the 2020–21 season.
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