Khalid Jamil, Stephen Constantine and Stefan Tarkovic shortlisted for India men’s football head coach role

The race to become the next head coach of the Indian men’s national football team is now down to three candidates – Khalid Jamil, Stephen Constantine, and Stefan Tarkovic. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) Technical Committee finalised its recommendations on Wednesday, July 23.

The committee met virtually to review 170 applications received earlier this month and shortened the list to the final three names. Their resumes have now been forwarded to the AIFF Executive Committee, which will make the final decision on who will lead the Blue Tigers.

The new coach will replace Spaniard Manolo Marquez, who left the role by mutual consent following India’s 0-1 defeat to Hong Kong on June 10. Marquez resigned from the position in less than a year after taking over the role following Igor Stimac’s departure.

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Who are the three finalists?

Khalid is one of the most respected Indian coaches in domestic football. He guided Jamshedpur FC to an impressive season in the Indian Super League (ISL).

Stephen Constantine is an English coach and a familiar face in Indian football. He has already had two successful stints with the national team, leading India to the AFC Asian Cup twice and helping improve the team’s FIFA rankings significantly.

He was the coach of the Indian team from 2002-2005 and 2015-2019. He has also coached international teams like Nepal, Sudan, Rwanda, Malawi, and Pakistan.

Stefan, a Slovak coach, brings European coaching experience to the table. He previously managed the Slovakia national team, leading them in Euro 2020, and also had a stint with Kyrgyzstan.