Kolkata
Senior men’s national football team head coach Khalid Jamil has warned that the continued delay in resuming the Indian Super League (ISL) season is adversely impacting Indian football, especially at a time when the national team’s FIFA ranking has dipped sharply. Speaking to the media, Jamil stressed that restarting domestic competitions was essential to restore momentum.
“I feel the ISL should resume at the earliest. It is important that the players get the chance to play enough competitive matches,” he said. “Development takes time, and we must maintain a positive mindset if we want things to get back on track.”
India recently suffered its second straight defeat in the Asian Cup qualification group stage, sliding to 142 in the latest FIFA rankings. This marks a steep fall from the 99th place the Blue Tigers achieved in July 2023 after winning the SAFF Championship. The decline began midway through the Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers in 2024 and worsened after a 0-1 loss to Bangladesh, pushing India to its lowest position in nearly ten years.
“The rankings reflect performances over time, but rankings alone don’t matter. What matters is winning matches — and for that, we must start working hard,” Jamil said.
The national coach emphasised broadening the talent pool by scouting younger players as well as tapping into the Indian-origin talent base abroad. “We are thinking about inducting more under-23 and under-21 players in the national team. We will begin scouting once the ISL and I-League resume,” he added.
Jamil also welcomed the recent inclusion of Ryan Williams under the Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) category, saying more such players could significantly strengthen the national squad.
With India at a crucial juncture, Jamil believes only consistent competitive match time can help the team rebuild and climb back up the global ladder.
