Khalid Jamil, celebrated for leading the underdog Aizawl Football Club to an unexpected I-League victory in 2017, has been appointed as the head coach of India's national men’s football team. This makes him the first Indian to hold this prestigious position in over 13 years.
The 48-year-old Jamil, a former international player with experience at Indian Super League’s Jamshedpur FC, was chosen by the All India Football Federation's (AIFF) executive committee from a list of three candidates. The other two candidates for the position were Stephen Constantine, a past head coach of India, and Stefan Tarkovic, known for managing Slovakia's national team.
The AIFF’s Technical Committee, chaired by iconic striker IM Vijayan, had shortlisted these three candidates for the executive committee’s ultimate decision. Jamil will be succeeding Manolo Marquez of Spain, who ended his tenure with the AIFF last month following a series of unsatisfactory performances by the team.
Savio Medeira was the last Indian to be appointed as the head coach of the national men’s team, holding that role from 2011 to 2012. Jamil’s first test in his new capacity will be the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) Nations Cup, scheduled to take place in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan starting on August 29.
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