Khalid Jamil joins Indian men’s football team as new head coach. Who is he?

The Indian men’s football team has a new head coach in Khalid Jamil. The former East Bengal and Mohun Bagan manager, famous among the football managerial faculty in the subcontinent, has been entrusted with rebuilding the side following the exit of ex-coach Manolo Marquez. Jamil, who oversees head coach duties at Jamshedpur FC in the Indian Super League (ISL), will take over the Indian team; however, the governing body (AIFF) has not mentioned when he will start in his new position.

His appointment, however, sees him become the first Indian to coach the national football team in 13 years, with Savio Medeira being the last (Indian) in charge of the side from October 2011 till March 2012.

"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 AIFF said in a statement.

Meanwhile, with several high-profile names fighting for this one spot, Jamil received the nod ahead of former India head coach Stephen Constantine for this very role. Late last month, a PTI report claimed that given AIFF’s financial constraints, they were likely to pick an Indian (Jamil in this case) for the head coach position.

Jamil, however, could begin his tenure as early as this month, with India due to play in the FIFA international match window in September in their AFC Asian Cup qualifying round games on October 9 and 14, against Singapore.

Who is Khalid Jamil?

Jamil has been a former Indian midfielder and now an AFC Pro Licensed coach; he has also been named the AIFF Coach of the Year on two occasions (2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons).

Born on April 21, 1977, in Kuwait City to Indian parents, Khalid played club football (in India) for several teams, including Mahindra United, Air India, and Mumbai FC, even representing the national team from 1998 to 2006. However, injuries forced him into early retirement, but he swiftly transitioned into coaching.

Following his stint with Mumbai FC, which put him in the spotlight, Khalid guided Aizawl FC to a historic I-League title in 2016-17, making them the first team from Northeast India to win the national league. It also helped him earn the Syed Abdul Rahim Best Coach Award.

Years later, in 2021, Jamil became the first Indian coach of an ISL side, NorthEast United FC, breaking a long-standing barrier in Indian football. As things stand, he is Jamshedpur FC’s head coach, having led the team to a Super Cup semi-final appearance.

Moreover, the new Indian head coach, Jamil, is known for his defensive discipline, tactical flexibility, and development of young talent. He is also considered a leading contender for the Indian national team coaching role.