The All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) Technical Committee shortlisted three candidates for the position of the Indian football team head coach after meeting virtually on Wednesday.
After reviewing 170 applications received earlier this month, the committee narrowed the list down to three candidates – Khalid Jamil, Stephen Constantine and Štefan Tarkovič.
An AIFF Executive Committee will review the resumes of the three candidates before making the final decision. The position became vacant earlier this month after Spaniard Manolo Marquez and the AIFF mutually agreed to part ways.
Of the three, Stephen Constantine is a familiar face, having previously served two separate stints as head coach of the Blue Tigers.
The Englishman coached India from 2002 to 2005 before taking over for a second stint between 2015 and 2019.
Stephen Constantine guided India to a silver medal at the 2003 Afro-Asian Games during his first stint with the team.
His second stint saw India win the SAFF Championship title in 2016 and the Intercontinental Cup in 2018. He also helped India qualify for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup during his second stint.
Constantine also coached Kolkata giants East Bengal in the 2022-23 Indian Super League season.
His most recent assignment was as head coach of the Pakistan national football team.
Khalid Jamil is another familiar face in the Indian football circuit, having coached numerous domestic clubs like Aizawl FC, East Bengal, Mohun Bagan, NorthEast United FC and Jamshedpur FC.
Jamil, who is the current Jamshedpur FC coach, led Aizawl FC to the 2016-17 I-League title and created history by making them the first club from the northeast region of India to win the title.
The first Indian head coach to manage a team full-time in the Indian Super League, Jamil helped NorthEast United FC qualify for the playoffs for the second time in the club’s history in the 2020-21 season.
He also led East Bengal FC and Jamshedpur FC to a runners-up finish in the Super Cup in 2018 and 2025, respectively.
Meanwhile, Štefan Tarkovič, who is the current head coach of Kyrgyzstan, is the third name in the mix for the position of the Indian team head coach. He has been the head coach of the Slovakian U18 and senior team in the past.