Khalid Jamil Appointed as Head Coach of Indian National Football Team

The wait is finally over! Khalid Jamil has been appointed as the new head coach of the Indian national football team, taking over from Manolo Marquez. Jamil's appointment marks a new chapter for the Blue Tigers, with hopes of bringing fresh energy and direction to the squad.

Former India coach Stephen Constantine and Slovak tactician Stefan Tarkovic were also in the running for the role, but it’s Jamil who has ultimately been trusted to lead the team forward.

“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,” the statement from AIFF read.

Manolo Márquez’s time as head coach of the Indian national football team came to an early end after just eight matches, with both Márquez and the All India Football Federation (AIFF) mutually agreeing to part ways on July 2, 2025.

Hopes were high when Márquez took over, given his impressive track record in the Indian Super League with Hyderabad FC and FC Goa. However, he couldn’t replicate that success on the international stage. Under his leadership, India managed just one win—a friendly against the Maldives—along with four draws and three losses, falling short of expectations.

Khalid Jamil Faces Challenging Start with CAFA Cup and Asian Cup Qualifiers

Khalid Jamil’s tenure as India’s new head coach is off to a tough start. The team is currently ranked 133rd in the FIFA Rankings and finds itself at the bottom of Group C in the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers. So far, they've managed only a draw against Bangladesh and suffered a loss to Hong Kong, making the road ahead even more challenging.

India will now replace Malaysia in the 2025 CAFA Nations Cup, set to take place from August 29 to September 8 in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

Drawn into a tough group with Iran, Afghanistan, and host nation Tajikistan, India will face strong competition. These matches will serve as vital preparation for their two crucial World Cup qualifiers against Singapore in October—must-win games if India hopes to top the group and secure a spot in the continental tournament in Saudi Arabia.

Khalid Jamil’s journey to coaching the Blue Tigers

Khalid Jamil’s journey through Indian football has been anything but conventional. Born in Kuwait, he's one of the rare Indian internationals to have grown up outside the country, yet his impact on the game at home has been profound.

Jamil began his playing career in 1997 with Mahindra United before moving on to Air India and later Mumbai FC. Between 1998 and 2006, he represented India in 40 international matches. However, persistent injuries forced him to hang up his boots early, during his time at Mumbai FC in 2009.

At just 32, he stepped straight into management with Mumbai FC. Over the next eight seasons, Jamil built a reputation as a shrewd tactician—someone who could consistently overachieve despite limited resources.

His defining moment came in the 2016–17 season with Aizawl FC. Back in the I-League after a brief relegation, Aizawl were expected to struggle. Instead, under Jamil’s leadership, they scripted one of Indian football’s greatest underdog stories—defying the odds to win the I-League title. It was a historic triumph, making Aizawl the first club from the Northeast to lift the trophy. The feat earned Jamil the prestigious Syed Abdul Rahim Best Coach award from the AIFF.

Following that success, he was snapped up by East Bengal in a landmark deal worth ₹1.25 crore—the highest salary ever offered to an Indian coach at the time. While his stints at East Bengal and Mohun Bagan had their ups and downs, Jamil found his rhythm again at NorthEast United.

In the 2020–21 ISL season, he took over the team mid-season and immediately sparked a turnaround, guiding the Highlanders on a 10-match unbeaten run that led them to the playoffs. The achievement earned him a full-time head coach role the following season—making him the first Indian to lead an ISL team on a permanent basis.

In December 2023, Jamil was appointed head coach of Jamshedpur FC. His impact was immediate. He guided them to the Super Cup semi-finals within months and then, in the 2024–25 season, led the team to a fifth-place finish in the league with 38 points—securing both a playoff spot and a place in the Super Cup final.

Known for getting the best out of underdog teams with modest budgets, Jamil’s consistent ability to punch above his weight earned him the AIFF Men’s Coach of the Year award for the second consecutive year.

Cover Credits - AIFF