Khalid Jamil Appointed Head Coach of the Indian National Football Team

Khalid Jamil was chosen head coach of the Indian national men’s football team on Friday. Jamil is renowned for leading the underdog Aizawl Football Club to the I-League championship in 2017.

The executive committee of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) chose the 48-year-old Jamil, a former India international who is currently in charge of Jamshedpur FC in the Indian Super League, from a shortlist of three candidates.

The first Indian to manage a national team in 13 years was Jamil, who guided Aizawl Football Club to the 2017 I-League championship. The latest Indian to coach the Blue Tigers was Savio Medeira, who led the national team from 2011 to 2012.

Stefan Tarkovic, a former Slovakian national team manager, and Stephen Constantine, the former head coach of India, were the other two candidates. Legendary striker IM Vijayan led the AIFF’s Technical Committee, which had shortlisted the three applicants for the executive committee’s ultimate choice.

Jamil, who holds an AFC Pro License Diploma, will take over for Spaniard Manolo Marquez. Savio Medeira was the last Indian to coach the national men’s team, having done so from 2011 to 2012.

Leading the Indian team in the Central Asian Football Association Nations Cup, which will be played in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, will be Jamil’s first task in his new role. India’s match against Tajikistan in Dushanbe on August 29 will kick off the tournament. On September 1 and 4, they will play Iran and Afghanistan, respectively.