Former India internationals Khalid Jamil and Renedy Singh are two of the three people who made the shortlist of All India Football Federation (AIFF) for the next head coach.
The function of the National Men’s team coach was empty after Manolo Marquez was mutually separated with the side earlier this month.
The AIFF had received 163 applications for the top track; The number was eventually cut to 20-10 Indians and 10 foreigners – by the national team director, Subrata Paul.
While the list of foreigners the Australian Harry Kewell, former Tadjikistan coach Petar Šgrt and Englishman Stephen Constantine included the Indian applicants Sanjoy Sen, Shanmugam Venkatesh and Shankarlal Chakraborty.
On July 23, the list was presented to the members of the technical committee, with an option to vote for their top three.
There were suggestions from some people present, including Subrata, to recover Constantine, one of whom India had improved his FIFA rankings from 173 to 97 between 2015 and 2018.
Former India coach Stephen Constantine with Sunil Chhetri during the Hero Intercontinental Cup 2018. | Photocredit: Prashant Nakwe/The Hindu
Former India coach Stephen Constantine with Sunil Chhetri during the Hero Intercontinental Cup 2018. | Photocredit: Prashant Nakwe/The Hindu
The fact that a majority of members prefer to have a solution during the meeting to prevent a fully -fledged appointment routine meant that the names of Renedy and Jamil became automatic choices. The Executive Committee is expected to come up with the confirmed name soon.
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Renedy played 72 times for India between 1998 and 2011 and was part of the team that won the SAFF championship (2005, 2011), Nehru Cup (2007, 2009) and AFC Challenge Cup (2008). He moved to coaching after retirement in 2015 and is currently the assistant coach of Bengaluru FC. He was previously the coach of I-League Side Neroca FC and also served as an interim head coach of East Bengal in the 2021-22 campaign.
Renedy Singh during his time as an interim coach of SC East Bengal. | Photocredit: Vipin Pawar/ Focus Sports/ ISL
Renedy Singh during his time as an interim coach of SC East Bengal. | Photocredit: Vipin Pawar/ Focus Sports/ ISL
Under Renedy, East Bengal played a whole Indian eleven against Jamshedpur, a scoop in the ISL. He has also been the president of the Football Players Association of India for almost ten years since 2014, before Mehrajuddin Wadoo took over this year.
In the meantime, Jamil, a former Mumbai FC teammate of Aiff President Kalyan Chaubey, has delivered a reputation for delivering positive results with limited resources. In 2017 he helped Aizawl-a Club that promoted the Second Division a year earlier the I-League Win, one of the largest underdog stories in Indian football orchestrate.
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Later he took Northeast United and Jamshedpur FC to the semi -final, and the last to the Super Cup final last season.
Khalid Jamil was previously approached for the task of India Under-23 head coach. | Photocredit: Shibu Preman / Focus Sports / FSDL
Khalid Jamil was previously approached for the task of India Under-23 head coach. | Photocredit: Shibu Preman / Focus Sports / FSDL
It is understood that Jamshedpur – Jamil’s current employer – has already had discussions with the AIFF. Sources near the club have indicated that, since the Indian Super League only starts at the end of this year, JFC feels that he is released in the national team in the October window, hardly influence the club’s season.
Earlier, Jamil was approached for a job as a coach of the under-23 side, one that did not come out when he was contracted with Jamshedpur until 2026. However, if and when the future of ISL is determined, the men of Staal would look for a potential replacement in Owen Coyle, including Jameshedpur won the competition title in 2022.
