Khalid Jamil was named as the new head coach of the Senior India Men’s National Team by the AIFF on Friday, brining an end to the search for the Blue Tigers’ gaffer following the departure of Manolo Marquez.

The decision to appoint the 48-year-old to helm the Blue Tigers was made by the AIFF Executive Committee, in the presence of the Technical Committee.

Jamil, the man who led Aizawl Football Club to the I-League title in 2017, became the first Indian in 13 years to hold the post of the national side coach. Savio Medeira, who served as the head coach of the national team from 2011 to 2012, was the last Indian to helm the Blue Tigers.

The AIFF’s Technical Committee, led Indian legend IM Vijayan, had shortlisted three coaches for the role including Stephen Constantine and Stefan Tarkovic in addition to Jamil.

Jamil beat Constantine, who had an earlier stint as the manager of the Blue Tigers, and former Slovakian coach Tarkovic to the job that had bee vacant since Marquez’s decision to quit the role on the back of a string of underwhelming results.

Jamil’s initial assignment in his new capacity will be to lead the Indian side at the Central Asian Football Association Nations Cup, slated to be held in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The tournament is scheduled to begin on the 29th of August as India take on Tajikistan in Dushanbe, before facing off against Iran on September 1 and Afghanistan on September 4.

Source: News18