The All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Wednesday announced the appointment of Khalid Jamil as head coach of the Indian senior men’s national football team on a two-year contract, with an option to extend for another year.
Jamil, 48, becomes the first Indian to take charge of the men’s team since Savio Medeira in 2012. He will work with the Blue Tigers on a full-time basis and begin his first training camp on August 15 at the Dravid-Padukone Centre for Sports Excellence in Bengaluru. The list of probables will be announced shortly.
His first assignment will be the CAFA Nations Cup later this month, where India face hosts Tajikistan (August 29), IR Iran (September 1) and Afghanistan (September 4) in Group B. In October, India will play two key AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifying matches against Singapore on October 9 and 14.
“I am both deeply proud and immensely privileged to have been entrusted with the responsibility of leading our national team,” Khalid Jamil said. “Over the years, I’ve grown to understand the strengths and weaknesses of Indian players, and these insights will guide our preparation for the CAFA Nations Cup and the Asian Cup qualifiers.”
Jamil has managed several top Indian clubs, including Jamshedpur FC, NorthEast United FC, Aizawl FC, East Bengal FC, Mohun Bagan AC and Mumbai FC. He famously led Aizawl FC to the I-League title in 2016-17. His most recent stint with Jamshedpur FC saw the club reach the 2025 Kalinga Super Cup final, the 2024-25 ISL play-off semi-finals and the 2024 Kalinga Super Cup semi-finals.
A former India midfielder with 15 caps, Jamil made his national team debut at the 1997 SAFF Championship, where India emerged champions. He represented the country in the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and the 2001 Merdeka Tournament. At the club level, he won the National Football League, two Federation Cups and two IFA Shields with Mahindra United, and also played for Air India and Mumbai FC. He won the Santosh Trophy with Maharashtra in 1999.
