New Delhi, Jan 16 (IANS) The All India Football Federation (AIFF) Thursday confirmed the appointment of Stephen Constantine as the head coach of the national team.
“Constantine will also be in charge of the India Under-23 national team. He is expected to take charge from the first week of February, 2015,” AIFF said in a release.
Constantine was at the helm of affairs of the Indian team from 2002 till 2005, during which tie they won the LG Cup in Vietnam and finished runners-up in the Afro-Asian Games.
He was the coach of the Rwanda national team before taking up this post. The Englishman guided the Africans to their highest-ever world ranking of 68 in last month’s FIFA ranking.
The London-born coach expressed his happiness at the development and said he needed a team effort for the progress of football in the country.
“I want to thank everyone for the support, this is going to be a team effort and that includes everyone who wants Indian football to progress,” he said on Twitter Friday.
Earlier this month, the AIFF offered the top position to Constantine after selecting him from a shortlist that also included Indian Super League (ISL) team NorthEast United FC.
The position was left vacant after Dutchman Wim Koevermans resigned in October following a 2-3 loss to Palestine. The Indian team are currently at its lowest ebb, lying at the 171st spot among 209 affiliated associations in the FIFA rankings.