Following India’s disappointing 1-0 defeat to Hong Kong, AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey addressed a series of key issues surrounding Indian football, including the future of national team head coach Manolo Marquez, the integration of OCI (Overseas Citizenship of India) players, goal-scoring concerns, grassroots development, and long-term strategic goals.
Manolo Marquez’s Future to Be Decided on 29 June
With growing uncertainty over Manolo Marquez’s position after a string of underwhelming results, Chaubey confirmed that the Spanish coach’s future will be deliberated at the upcoming AIFF Executive Committee meeting on 29 June.
“Manolo is a highly rated coach with a solid understanding of Indian football and its players,” Chaubey said. “However, in the last few days, we’ve received several calls questioning whether he should continue. A decision will be taken during the Executive Committee meeting. But let me say this — it is unrealistic to expect wins without scoring goals.”
OCI Players in the Pipeline
One of the most anticipated topics among fans — the inclusion of OCI players — was also addressed. Chaubey confirmed that the AIFF is in contact with 33 players eligible for OCI cards.
“Several countries below us in the FIFA rankings have made use of naturalised players,” Chaubey stated. “We are in touch with 33 such players. Some have already obtained their OCI cards, and the rest are being assisted by AIFF. We are doing our best to include them in the national set-up within our legal and administrative capacity.”
Scoring Crisis and Striker Shortage
Chaubey acknowledged the ongoing goal-scoring crisis as Indian football’s most urgent problem.
“Everyone in Indian football agrees — the shortage of strikers is our major issue,” he admitted. “One potential solution could be reducing the number of foreign players in domestic leagues to give Indian forwards more opportunities.”
However, he clarified that such a move would require consensus among league stakeholders. “As a federation, we can’t take this decision alone. But if the stakeholders choose to give more game time to Indian No. 9s, I will wholeheartedly support it.”
AIFF FIFA Academy Shows Promise
Chaubey highlighted the progress of the AIFF FIFA Academy, which began operations in November 2023. Since then, 30 U-14 players have been selected from a pool of over 5,400.
“These boys began training in July 2024 and played their first match on 6 February. They’ve beaten Inter Kashi U-17 (5-0), Jamshedpur FC (7-0), Odisha FC (8-1), and MBSG U-14 (5-0),” said Chaubey. “Encouraged by these results, we are planning to launch five more academies to raise the talent pool to 150 boys, who can feed into U-17, U-20, and U-23 levels.”
Long-Term Vision Beyond Immediate Results
Responding to criticism over the current state of Indian football, Chaubey called for patience and outlined a 10-year roadmap.
“We are often asked what we’ve achieved in two and a half years. But our focus is on the long-term. While India is bidding for the 2036 Olympics, we are also preparing to host the 2031 AFC Asian Cup. Blaming others is easy — it reveals weakness. Building a system takes time.”
Infrastructure and Coaches Need Focus
Chaubey pointed out that outdated infrastructure remains a barrier to growth. “Most of our stadiums are old models with running tracks that push fans away from the pitch. We’ve requested state governments to build new, more intimate stadiums that enhance the fan experience.”
He also underlined the need to upgrade coach education and support for women’s football. “Our top priority as a federation is to develop Indian coaches. We need better coach education and player selection systems. We’re also working to ensure our female players aged 17–22 receive the support they need to grow.”
India to Bid for AFC Tournaments
In a bid to raise India’s international profile, Chaubey confirmed that the country plans to bid for multiple AFC competitions.
“We’re looking to host the AFC Asian Cup, AFC Beach Soccer, and AFC Futsal tournaments in the near future,” he revealed.