Indian professional football manager and former player Khalid Jamil has been appointed as the head coach of the Indian men's national football team. This move marks a historic moment as he becomes the first Indian in 13 years to take charge of the senior side.

Jamil, 48, who etched his name into Indian football history by leading the unheralded Aizawl FC to an I-League championship in 2017, currently manages Jamshedpur FC in the Indian Super League. His selection was finalised by the executive committee of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) from a shortlist of three candidates.

The two other names in contention were Stephen Constantine, a former India coach, and Stefan Tarkovic, ex-head coach of Slovakia. The shortlist was earlier drawn up by the AIFF’s Technical Committee, headed by legendary Indian striker IM Vijayan.

Jamil replaces Spaniard Manolo Marquez, who stepped down last month amid India's poor performances. The last Indian to helm the national men's team was Savio Medeira, who held the role from 2011 to 2012.

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Jamil’s debut challenge as national coach will be the CAFA Nations Cup, scheduled to kick off on August 29 across Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
(With PTI Inputs)

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