India turns to Khalid Jamil in bid to restore football glory

Khalid Jamil has been appointed as the head coach of the Indian men’s national football team, becoming the first Indian to hold the position in 13 years. The 48-year-old beat former India coach Stephen Constantine and ex-Slovakia manager Stefan Tarkovic to secure the coveted role. Till now Indian football team has been dominated by foreign coaches.

The last Indian to manage the men’s team was Savio Medeira, who served from 2011 to 2012. Khalid Jamil, a former India international and the current Jamshedpur FC coach in the Indian Super League (ISL), now faces the formidable task of reviving the team’s fortunes following a series of underwhelming results.

Khalid Jamil is widely respected for guiding the underdog Aizawl FC to a historic I-League title in 2017, a campaign that saw the modestly funded club outperform traditional powerhouses like MohunBagan, East Bengal, and Bengaluru FC. He also led NorthEast United to the ISL play-offs in 2020-21 and repeated the feat with Jamshedpur FC in 2024-25.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) Executive Committee finalised his appointment after recommendations from the Technical Committee, chaired by Indian football legend IM Vijayan. The AIFF received 170 applications for the role, including high-profile names like former Liverpool stars Robbie Fowler and Harry Kewell.

AIFF president KalyanChaubey confirmed Jamil’s selection but said the exact tenure is still under discussion. “Jamil wanted a three-year term, but the executive committee will decide after discussions. His tenure will be long-term, likely two or three years, and performance-based,” Chaubey told PTI.

Shaji Prabhakaran is an Indian football administrator known for his extensive contributions to the sport’s development in India, welcomed the move. “Congratulations #Khalid Jamil. As expected Khalid Jamil is the new Head Coach Indian National Men’s Team #BlueTigers. A bold decision by AIFF and Khalid himself to join hands at a time when the challenge is of highest level…”  

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Shaji Prabhakaran formerly served as the General Secretary of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and was the President of Football Delhi, the governing body for football in the capital region. Prior to these roles, Prabhakaran worked as the FIFA Development Officer for South Central Asia, where he played a key role in regional football advancement.

Chaubey also clarified that Jamil will serve exclusively as the national team head coach, unlike his predecessor Manolo Marquez, who combined the role with his club duties at FC Goa. “Jamil will only coach the national team,” he said. However, he may be allowed to finish Jamshedpur FC’s ongoing Durand Cup campaign, which concludes on August 23.

Jamil’s first assignment as India head coach will be the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) Nations Cup, scheduled in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan from August 29. He will then lead India in crucial AFC Asian Cup final-round qualifiers against Singapore on October 9 and 14, matches that will determine India’s hopes for the 2027 continental tournament.

India’s recent performances have been disappointing, including a 0-1 loss to lower-ranked Hong Kong in the Asian Cup qualifiers in June, which has put their qualification in jeopardy.

The AIFF said the decision to appoint an Indian coach was strongly supported by legends like Vijayan, vice-chairperson Shabbir Ali, and former India coach Armando Colaco, who is currently an advisor to the federation.

“Indian coaches need to be given fair opportunities. Even in our time, we took charge of the national team without prior international experience,” the AIFF quoted Colaco and Ali as saying.

Executive committee members and ex-India internationals PinkyMagar, Tababi Devi, and Climax Lawrence also backed Jamil’s appointment, believing his familiarity with domestic players will be an asset in the upcoming fixtures.

With Jamil now at the helm, Indian football enters a new chapter, banking on a homegrown coach to steer the team toward long-awaited success.

Khalid Ahmed Jamil is a former Indian footballer and a trailblazing manager, widely regarded as one of the most accomplished Indian coaches in modern Indian football. Khalid Jamil was born to Indian parents in Kuwait on 21 April 1977, where he developed a passion for football early on. He moved to India in his youth to pursue a professional career.

After his family returned to India, while studying at the famous Rizvi College in Mumbai, he made it to the university team. He later played for Mahindra United, Air India and Mumbai FC for major part of his club career. “I always liked football from childhood, but when I started I didn’t play the sport thinking of it as a profession. I kept on playing and it went like that,” he had said.

He is a deeply religious man, who offers namaaz five times a day.

Jamil emphasises a simplified approach to the game, encouraging his players to express themselves freely while ensuring they maintain strong defensive discipline.

“My instructions (to players) are play defensively, man to man, be in shape, otherwise I give them a lot of freedom, to play their natural game depending on match situations,” he had said.

“I don’t give too many instructions especially to inexperienced Indian players. It shouldn’t be like my players are like robots and do exactly as I say. It’s not very rigid.”

Jamil played in India’s top football league the National Football League (NFL) before the Indian Super League (ISL) era. Jamil was part of the Indian squad for various AFC competitions and international tournaments.

Jamil began his managerial career with Mumbai FC, a club with limited resources. Despite this, he maintained the team’s I-League status year after year, gaining respect for his ability to deliver results against the odds.

Jamil briefly managed India’s two oldest and most storied clubs, though he had mixed results and short tenures due to internal instability. With a proven track record in domestic football most notably his successes with Aizawl FC and Jamshedpur FC, Khalid Jamil has shown a clear ability to build organised, effective teams. His appointment offers genuine potential for Indian football to reclaim its lost glory.