Khalid Jamil.
Credit: X
Bengaluru: Khalid Ahmed Jamil was named India’s new head coach by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Friday, succeeding Manolo Marquez, who ended his winless tenure after mutually parting ways in less than a year after taking charge.
Jamil’s first assignment will be the CAFA Nations Cup, where India will play Tajikistan, Iran and Afghanistan, starting late August.
“The AIFF Executive Committee, in the presence of the Technical Committee, has approved the appointment of Khalid Jamil as the new head coach of the Senior India Men’s National Team,” said the AIFF in a release confirming Jamil’s appointment.
Jamil also becomes the first Indian to hold the job since Savio Medeira’s spell in 2011-12.
The appointment was always on the cards after he became the frontrunner to succeed Marquez after over 170 applications (along with some hoax ones under the names of Xavi Hernandez and Pep Guardiola) came in after the AIFF advertised for the Indian coaching role.
Jamil was selected from a three-man shortlist, which included Stephen Constantine and Stefan Tarkovic.
The 48-year-old takes over a team after a series of average performances, with warning alarms sounding louder than ever. They dropped to 133rd on the FIFA charts and have won just a game (a friendly against Maldives) in the last ten matches and have not scored in six.
India have also had issues in their backline and Jamil, known for his well-organised, defensively solid, counter-attacking and staying-in-shape football is expected to bring some stability and solidity to the struggling side.
Khalid has also previously worked with the Indian Super League clubs NorthEast United FC and Jamshedpur FC.
He was also the first Indian head coach in the Indian Super League and the first Indian to qualify for the ISL playoffs.
The 48-year-old has also worked with Kolkata giants -- East Bengal and Mohun Bagan -- in a managerial capacity, after having stayed with Mumbai FC for a good six years.
Jamil was at the helm of things guiding tiny Aizawl FC to their first and only I-League title in 2016-17 which still remains one of the best underdog fairytale stories in Indian football.
The CV was only made stronger with Jamil winning the AIFF’s Men’s Coach of the Year Award on two occasions (2023-24 and 2024-25).
However, Jamil’s Jamshedpur FC contract runs until 2026 and he is expected to stay with the club till the end of their Durand Cup campaign.