New Delhi [India], August 17 : A new era has just begun for Indian football after Khalid Jamil took charge of the Blue Tigers, the first Indian coach in 13 years, as per the official website of the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
The national camp began on Independence Day (August 15) in Bengaluru, and the first training session was held at the Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence on August 16.
Jamil, on his maiden international appointment in coaching, said, "It is my pleasure to serve the country. It has always been my dream to do this, and it has now come true, so that feels very good. There is a big task ahead of us, and we've got many areas that we need to work on. I am fully aware how big a responsibility it is for me, but I feel thankful that the Federation (AIFF) felt me worthy to be entrusted with it," as quoted from the official website of AIFF.
The 48-year-old's first assignment will be the CAFA Nations Cup, where India have been drafted into Group B, and will travel to Hisor, Tajikistan, to play the hosts (August 29), IR Iran (September 1), and Afghanistan (September 4). The top teams from groups A and B will play the final on September 8 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and the two second-placed teams will face each other in a battle for third place on the same day in Hisor.
The national camp began on August 16 with 22 players, with 13 others currently fulfilling their respective club engagements in the Durand Cup.
Jamil, who is keeping an eye on the progress of the other 13 players, said, "We started the camp with some players still not available, but we've got the players we need to begin our preparations. The important thing is that we remain united as a team, because this will be India's first-ever participation in the CAFA Nations Cup, and it will be a good opportunity for us to play stronger opponents. Therefore, for the national interest, we would like to request co-operation from clubs to release players on time, to ensure their adequate participation during the preparatory camp."
However, the newly-appointed India head coach has his sights set on the AFC Asian Cup Final Round Qualifiers, where India will face Singapore in the October FIFA International Window (October 9 in Singapore and October 14 in India), in their Group C encounters.
"It will be good for us to play against quality opponents in the CAFA Nations Cup. There is absolutely no excuse for us, as we have enough time to prepare for it," said Jamil.
"Playing against stronger teams like Tajikistan and Iran will definitely be beneficial for us to prepare for the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers," he added.
India has, thus far, played two, drawn one (0-0 at home against Bangladesh), and lost one (0-1 away in Hong Kong), and is bottom of Group C with just a point. Tasked with turning the Blue Tigers' fortunes around, Jamil plans to take things one step at a time.
"We must do the simple things first and go step by step. We are treating these as friendly games, but I want to take players who are fit. When I say fit, I mean the players who will play must be 100 per cent fit," said Jamil.
"We had a good first training session yesterday (Saturday), but there's a lot to improve on," he noted.
"We may be treating these as preparatory games, but this is serious business for us. I need time to adjust to this team, and the players need time to adjust to me," he said.
"My doors are always open to everybody. Whoever is doing well will be selected," Jamil added.
The absence of striker Sunil Chhetri in the probables squad for the 2025 CAFA Nations Cup has raised a few questions, though for Jamil, the doors are open.
"Sunil is a legend of Indian football. I have played against him, I've seen him play on numerous occasions, and he is one of my favourite players. He is a role model for Indian football, and the door is always open for him," said Jamil.
"He's not there in this camp because we are playing a tournament which will essentially serve as a preparation for our Asian Cup Qualifiers," he said.
"I also want to try out a few other players during this FIFA window. I had a talk with him about the same. It's always a pleasure to have a player like him in the team," he noted.
The newly-appointed coach urged the fans of Indian football to stick by the team as they look to turn things around.
"I am extremely thankful to the fans. They have been extremely supportive of us every time. Keep supporting us, and be patient," he added.