The All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Friday appointed former international Khalid Jamil as the new head coach of the national men’s team. His appointment comes just a month after Spain’s Manolo Marquez resigned following a dismal run of results.

Jamil, 48, was chosen ahead of seasoned foreign candidates including England’s Stephen Constantine and Slovakia’s Stefan Tarkovic. According to an AIFF statement, the selection committee, led by president Kalyan Chaubey, said they believed that Indian coaches 'need to be given a fair chance to prove themselves'. Jamil’s deep experience with domestic players and Indian clubs was a decisive factor in his appointment.

Jamil thus became the first Indian coach to take charge of the senior men’s national team in over a decade, following Savio Medeira’s tenure from 2011 to 2012.