 "The AIFF has announced that Khalid Jamil will be a full-time coach for the Indian men's football team. Image: AIFF")
Former midfielder Khalid Jamil has signed a full-time two-year contract to be the new Indian men’s football team coach, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) confirmed on Wednesday. Jamil, who was Jamshedpur FC’s coach in the Indian Super League (ISL), was picked as the top candidate by the AIFF Executive Committee on 1 August , but both parties were yet to agree on terms.
“I am both deeply proud and immensely privileged to have been entrusted with the responsibility of leading our national team,” Jamil said in an AIFF media release on Wednesday. “Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to train Indian players, and I’ve grown to understand their strengths and weaknesses intimately.
“These insights will be fundamental to everything we do as we prepare for the CAFA Nations Cup and the upcoming crucial Asian Cup Qualifiers against Singapore.”
Jamil to start tenure with CAFA Nations Cup
Jamil was picked by the AIFF ahead of India coach Stephen Constantine and Slovakian tactician Stefan Tarkovic. He will be the first Indian to coach the men’s national team after Savio Medeira in 2012.
The first training camp for the Indian football team under Jamil will start on 15 August at the Dravid-Padukone Centre for Sports Excellence in Bengaluru. The list of probables is expected to be announced soon.
Jamil’s first assignment as India coach will be the CAFA Nations Cup, where India are set to face hosts Tajikistan (August 29), IR Iran (September 1) and Afghanistan (September 4) in Group B.
In the October FIFA Window, India are scheduled to play AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers against Singapore (October 9 and 14).
Jamil’s coaching and playing career
While he doesn’t have the experience of coaching a national team, the 48-year-old has had an extensive management career at the club level, coaching Jamshedpur FC, NorthEast United FC, Aizawl FC, East Bengal FC, Mohun Bagan AC and Mumbai FC. With Aizawl FC, he won a historic I-League title in 2016-17.
He also helped Jamshedpur reach the Kalinga Super Cup 2025 final and the semi-finals of the ISL play-offs 2024-25.
As a player, he played 15 times for India, after making his debut in the 1997 SAFF Championship in Nepal, which the Blue Tigers won. In his club career, Jamil won the National Football League, two Federation Cups and two IFA Shields with Mahindra United.
He also played for Air India and Mumbai FC. In the Santosh Trophy, Jamil represented Maharashtra, with whom he won the title in 1999.