MUMBAI: Former Indian player and coach of Jamshedpur FC in the ISL, Khalid Jamil, has been appointed as the head coach of the Indian football team. 49-year-old Khalid replaced FC Goa coach Manolo Marquez, who resigned. Khalid is the first Indian to become the coach of the national team after Savio Madeira, who served as India's coach in 2011-12.

Khalid was selected from a list of three names. The others on the list were former India coach Stephen Constantine and Slovakian football manager Stefan Tarkovic. The All India Football Federation's technical committee, after meeting national team director Subroto Pal, prepared the final list on July 22. The executive committee, which met today, examined this list and selected Khalid as the coach.

It is hoped that Khalid's arrival as the coach of India, which is currently ranked 133rd, will improve the team's situation. However, Khalid's first match is a strong test. India's next match is against Iran in the CAFA Nations Cup. After that, they will compete against Tajikistan. Khalid is currently contracted as the coach of Jamshedpur FC until 2026.