BREAKING: Khalid Jamil named Indian Football Team head coach

Khalid Jamil is currently the head coach of the ISL side Jamshedpur FC.

The wait is over!! Khalid Jamil has been announced as the new head coach of the Indian Football Team. Jamil will replace Manolo Marquez as the new boss of the Blue Tigers. Former India head coach Stephen Constantine and Stefan Tarkovic were also among the shortlisted candidates.

“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.

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.#IndianFootball ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/R1FQ61pyr4

— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) August 1, 2025

Manolo Marquez’s stint as India’s national football team head coach came to an end after just eight matches, as both he and the All India Football Federation (AIFF) agreed to mutually part ways on July 2nd, 2025.

Despite high expectations following his success in the Indian Super League with Hyderabad FC and FC Goa, Marquez struggled to deliver results at the national level, managing only one win—a friendly against the Maldives—alongside four draws and three defeats.

Khalid Jamil set for tough start with CAFA and Asian Cup qualifiers

Khalid Jamil‘s tenure as the new head coach of India will begin with a challenging stretch of matches. Currently ranked 133rd in the FIFA Rankings, they sit at the bottom of Group C in the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers, following a draw against Bangladesh and a loss to Hong Kong.

They are now set to replace Malaysia in the CAFA Nations Cup 2025, scheduled from August 29 to September 8 in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

Drawn alongside Iran, Afghanistan, and host Tajikistan, India will face stiff competition. These games will act as crucial preparation ahead of their two must-win qualifiers against Singapore in October, with only the group winner progressing to the continental tournament in Saudi Arabia.

Khalid Jamil’s journey to leading the Blue Tigers

Khalid Jamil’s journey through Indian football has been anything but ordinary. Born in Kuwait, he is one of the rare Indian internationals to hail from outside the country.

His playing career began with Mahindra United in 1997, and he later turned out for Air India before injuries cut his career short during his stint at Mumbai FC in 2009. He had represented India in 40 international matches between 1998 and 2006. After retiring from playing, Jamil went straight into management.

At just 32, he took charge of Mumbai FC in 2009, embarking on an eight-season run where he built a reputation as a tactically astute manager capable of doing more with less.

Jamil’s defining moment came in the 2016–17 season with Aizawl FC. After being reinstated into the I-League, Aizawl were expected to fight relegation, but under Jamil’s leadership, they produced one of Indian football’s greatest underdog stories. His side defied all odds to clinch the I-League title, becoming the first club from the Northeast to lift the trophy. The triumph earned him the Syed Abdul Rahim Best Coach award from the AIFF.

He was snapped up by East Bengal in a record ₹1.25 crore deal, the highest ever salary for an Indian coach at the time. Though his time at East Bengal and Mohun Bagan saw mixed results, he found his footing again at NorthEast United.

In the 2020–21 ISL season, he took over mid-season and sparked a 10-match unbeaten run, guiding the Highlanders to the playoffs. That performance earned him a full-time head coach role the following season, making him the first Indian to manage an ISL team full-time.

In December 2023, Jamil took charge of Jamshedpur FC and quickly transformed their fortunes. He led them to the Super Cup semi-finals in his first few months, and in the 2024–25 season, his side finished fifth in the league with 38 points—securing a playoff berth and a place in the Super Cup final.

His consistent impact on clubs with limited star power and budgets earned him the AIFF Men’s Coach of the Year award for the second year running.

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