Khalid Jamil, who famously guided the unheralded Aizawl Football Club to the I-League title in 2017, was on Friday named head coach of the Indian national men's football team, becoming the first Indian in 13 years to occupy the coveted post. The 48-year-old Jamil, a former India international and currently in charge of Indian Super League side Jamshedpur FC, was selected by the All India Football Federation's (AIFF) executive committee from a three-man shortlist. The other two contenders were former India head coach Stephen Constantine and Stefan Tarkovic, who previously managed the Slovakia national team. The AIFF’s Technical Committee, led by legendary striker IM Vijayan, had shortlisted the three candidates for the executive committee's final decision. An AFC Pro License Diploma holder, Jamil will succeed Spaniard Manolo Marquez, who parted ways with the AIFF last month following India’s recent struggles. The last Indian to serve as head coach of the national men’s team was Savio Medeira, who held the position from 2011 to 2012. Jamil’s first assignment in his new role will be the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) Nations Cup, to be held in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan starting August 29. Jamil has long been a trailblazer in Indian football. The biggest achievement of his more than a decade-long managerial career was the 2016-17 I-League title with Aizawl FC, when the northeastern club which had an annual budget of Rs 2 crore upstaged big-spending giants like Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Bengaluru FC.
The unassuming Mumbaikar has also guided two relatively understated sides to the ISL play-offs -- NorthEast United in 2020-21 and Jamshedpur FC in 2024-25. He will have the tough task of reversing India's poor performances in recent past. After losing 0-1 to lower-ranked Hong Kong in an away match of the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers on June 10, the country has been left in danger of missing out on qualifying for the continental showpiece in 2027. After the CAFA Nations Cup, India play their AFC Asian Cup qualifying round games on October 9 and 14 -- against Singapore home and away.