Khalid Jamil has been named the new head coach of the Indian men’s football team. The former player became the first Indian to take the job since 2012. Jamil joins at a difficult time as the team is struggling and needs direction, belief, and fresh energy.
Jamil is a well-known name in Indian football. He won the I-League with Aizawl FC in 2017 while faring well in the Indian Super League (ISL). He led NorthEast United to the playoffs in the 2020-21 season. Recently, he took Jamshedpur FC to the ISL semi-finals and the Kalinga Super Cup final in 2024-25. Now, he has a stellar opportunity to bring fresh ideas to the national side.
Big Challenges for Jamil ft. Indian Team’s Attack and AFC Asian Cup 2027
First, India must start scoring goals. The Blue Tigers have not scored in their last three matches. They drew 0-0 with Bangladesh, lost 1-0 to Hong Kong, and lost 2-0 to Thailand. Their last goal came in March in a 3-0 win against the Maldives. Under the previous coach, India only scored five goals in eight games. Jamil will need to fix the attack. His club teams often scored on the counter-attack. That may help India too.
Second, Jamil must save India’s AFC Asian Cup 2027 campaign. India is last in Group C with just one point after two matches. They play Singapore twice in October, which could decide their future in the qualifiers. Before that, India will play in the CAFA Nations Cup. They will face Tajikistan, Iran, and Afghanistan. These matches will help Jamil prepare the team.
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Third, India needs structure and clarity in their play. The team has tried a possession style under previous coaches but didn’t get good results. Considering, Jamil is a smart and practical coach, his teams are relatively stronger in defence and effective on the counter.
If he can fix these problems, Jamil may take Indian football to a better future.
