Khalid Jamil signs full-time contract as head coach of Indian senior men's team
Sanchita Chatterjee, BS News Agency, New Delhi: The All India Football Federation can confirm that Khalid Jamil has signed a two-year contract as head coach of the Indian senior men's national team, with an option to extend for another year.
Jamil will take charge of the national team exclusively on a full-time basis and will begin his first training camp at the Dravid-Padukone Centre for Sports Excellence in Bengaluru on August 15. The list of potential players will be announced soon. Jamil's first assignment with the Blue Tigers will be the CAF Nations Cup, where India will face hosts Tajikistan (August 29), IR Iran (September 1) and Afghanistan (September 4) in Group B. In the October FIFA window, India will play two crucial AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers against Singapore (October 9 and 14).
Jamil said, "I am deeply proud and extremely fortunate to have been given the responsibility of leading our national team. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to coach Indian players and have gained a deep understanding of their strengths and weaknesses. 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."
The first Indian to take charge of the men's national team since Savio Madeira in 2012, Jamil has extensive coaching experience in the Indian Super League and I-League, having managed clubs such as Jamshedpur FC, Northeast United FC, Aizawl FC, East Bengal FC, Mohun Bagan AC and Mumbai FC. He led Aizawl FC to a historic I-League title in 2016-17.
The 48-year-old's most recent stint with Jamshedpur FC saw the Red Miners reach the final of the 2025 Kalinga Super Cup and the semi-finals of the 2024-25 ISL play-offs and the 2024 Kalinga Super Cup.
Jamil is a former Indian international with 15 caps. As a midfielder, he made his debut in the 1997 SAFF Championship held in Nepal, where India emerged champions. He was part of the Indian team for the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and the 2001 Merdeka Tournament. During his club career, Jamil won the National Football League, two Federation Cups and two IFA Shields for Mahindra United. He also wore the jerseys of Air India and Mumbai FC. In the Santosh Trophy, Jamil represented Maharashtra, with whom he won the title in 1999.