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The All India Football Federation (AIFF) Technical Committee has narrowed down the search for the next head coach of the Senior Men’s National Football Team to three candidates: Khalid Jamil, Stephen Constantine, and Stefan Tarkovic. The final appointment will rest with the Federation’s Executive Committee, which is expected to make its decision soon.
After Igor Stimac and Manolo Marquez's stints as the head coaches in the last few seasons, Indian football has not progressed at all. Although India managed to win the SAFF Championship 2023 under Igor, the Blue Tigers won only one match under Marquez's 8-match stint. India lost 3 games while drawing four times, in those 8 games and that made India slip to 133rd position in the FIFA World Rankings.
The Shortlisted Candidates
Khalid Jamil
An accomplished Indian coach, Jamil is renowned for his work in domestic football, notably guiding Aizawl FC to their historic I-League title. His deep understanding of Indian football and ability to bring the best out of local talent make him a strong contender for the position.
Khaild Jamil has the experince of managing teams like ATK Mohun Bagan, East Bengal FC, NorthEast United FC, Bengaluru United and Jamshedpur FC. Last season under him, Jamshedpur FC reached the semi-finals of Indian Super League as well.
As per Transfermarkt's data, Jamil has coached 219 games till now while winning 83 of them. Jamil drew 65 games while losing 71.
Stephen Constantine
The Englishman is no stranger to Indian football. Constantine had two previous stints as India’s head coach from 2002 to 2005 and 2015 to 2019, during which he oversaw significant improvements in the team's performance, including qualification for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.
India went from 173 to 97 in the FIFA Rankings during his stint in 2015 to 2019.
Constantine just finished his stint as the head coach of the Pakistan Football team. He was seen last time in India in the 2022-23 season as the head coach of East Bengal FC.
In the 52 matches he coached India in his two stints, Constantine won 25 of them, while losing 19 and drawing 8 times.
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Stefan Tarkovic
The experienced Slovak coach, best known for managing the Slovakia national team, brings a wealth of European experience and tactical know-how. His international pedigree could be influential in shaping a more competitive Indian squad.
Tarkovic just finished his stint as the head coach of Kyrgyzstan, where he won only 5 games, drew 4 and lost 9 games. However, in his managerial career, he won 32 out of 108 games, keeping a 1.18 points per game stat.