Sudeep Pakrashi:
The country’s two Dronacharya Awardees, Armando Colaco and Bimal Ghosh, played a crucial role in the selection of Khalid Jamil as the senior national coach. Both the Dronacharya Awardees were invited to the AIFF’s Technical Committee meeting before the selection of the senior national coach, and both Colaco and Ghosh emphasized in their advice to the Technical Committee to choose Khalid Jamil instead of Stephen Constantine as the senior national coach.
After the Blue Tigers’ historic bronze in the CAFA Nations Cup, especially after the victory against higher-ranked Oman, Armando Colaco sounds like a happy man. While speaking over the phone from Goa on Tuesday, the coach, under whose guidance the senior national team achieved a memorable 2-2 draw against mighty United Arab Emirates in a World Cup qualifying match at the Ambedkar Stadium, Delhi, explained, “Indian football seems to be in a transition of revival. Not only did the senior national team acquire a bronze medal with the inspiring triumph against fancied Oman, but the under-23 national team have also dished out an excellent performance in the ongoing under-23 Asian Cup qualifiers so far. The women’s national team, both senior and junior level, have earned qualification for the final phase of the AFC Women’s Championship. So, I am happy to see that Indian football has started coming out of its recent failure.”
Khalid Jamil revealed before the team’s trip to Tajikistan to participate in the CAFA Nations Cup that he would bring Sunil Chhetri back in the senior national team before they face Singapore in the crucial Asian Cup qualifier at home on 14th October.
The 72-year-old coach, who is presently the head coach of Sporting Clube De Goa, agreed with Khalid’s plans. “If I had been the national coach, I would have requested Sunil also to break international retirement and join the senior national team.”
Colaco added, “The performance he exhibited in the last ISL would compel any national coach to call him back. I believe Sunil’s inclusion in this team will strengthen the footballers’ self-belief, which played a crucial role in the national team’s spirited performance in the CAFA Nations Cup.”
