AIFF confirm Khalid Jamil's appointment, believe Indian coaches need to be given a fair chance (Ld)

New Delhi, Aug 1 (IANS) The All India Football Federation (AIFF) confirmed the appointment of head coach Khalid Jamil as the new head coach of the senior India men's national football team, following the decision by the AIFF Executive Committee.

The Executive Committee approved the appointment from a three-member shortlist submitted by the AIFF Technical Committee. The other two contenders were former India head coach Stephen Constantine and Stefan Tarkovic, who previously managed the Slovakia national team.

In a statement issued by the AIFF, the governing body confirmed that Dronacharya Awardee coaches Bimal Ghosh and Armando Colaco, and Dhyan Chand Awardee Shabbir Ali, alongside Technical Committee chairperson IM Vijayan were heavily in favour of appointing an Indian coach at the helm for the first time in 13 years.

“In the presence of AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey, Vice President NA Haris, Treasurer Shri Kipa Ajay, the members of the Executive and Technical committees, along with both Dronacharya Awardee coaches Bimal Ghosh and Armando Colaco, and Dhyan Chand Awardee Shabbir Ali, the AIFF’s Technical Director Syed Sabir Pasha and National Teams Director Subrata Paul presented a SWOT analysis of all the three shortlisted coaches – Khalid Jamil, Stephen Constantine, and Stefan Tarkovic.

“Colaco, Ghosh, and Ali expressed their views that the AIFF should prioritise selecting an Indian coach for the senior men’s national team. All three opined that during their respective coaching careers, they too were once Indian coaches with no national team experience. However, they believe that Indian coaches need to be given a fair chance to prove themselves.

“Technical Committee chairperson IM Vijayan, a Padma Shri and Arjuna awardee, shared his experiences during his playing days, and said that India had a much higher FIFA ranking with the likes of Sukhwinder Singh and Syed Nayeemuddin as the head coaches. Thus, he strongly recommended Khalid Jamil, as he has already been conferred with the AIFF’s Men’s Coach of the Year Award on two occasions (2023-24 and 2024-25),” read the statement by the AIFF.

A former midfielder, Jamil has worked his way through the Indian football ecosystem having made an impact on the I-League, I-League 2 and the Indian Super League. His time with Aizawl FC saw the team win their only top-flight title. He joined Jamshedpur FC midway through the 2023–24 season and led them to the Super Cup semifinals and later to a runner-up finish and an ISL semifinal spot in the next season.

--IANS

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