Panaji: All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Kalyan Chaubey addressed the media on Friday amid mounting criticism following India’s recent poor performances and a drop to 133rd in the FIFA rankings.
India’s 1–0 loss to Hong Kong in the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers, sealed by a stoppage-time penalty from Stefan Pereira, has placed qualification in jeopardy.
The defeat came on the heels of another loss to Thailand, sparking widespread concern over the national team’s direction.
Chaubey, alongside treasurer Kipa Ajay, secretary general Anilkumar Prabhakaran, competitions head Akshay Rohatgi, and director of football Subrata Paul, faced the press in an hour-long briefing.
On the status of head coach Manolo Marquez, Chaubey said, “Manolo is a respected coach who understands Indian football well.
But we’ve received several queries about his continuation. A decision will be made at the executive committee meeting on June 29.”
He acknowledged India’s long-running striker shortage. “Our main concern is the lack of goals and shortage of Indian strikers. Everyone in Indian football recognises this,” Chaubey said. He suggested reducing the number of foreign players to increase opportunities for local forwards.
Chaubey revealed plans to bring in a World Cup-winning striker to mentor young Indian attackers. “We’re trying to get a World Cup-winning forward to work with us… to focus on shooting, finishing, and building a natural goal-scoring instinct,” he said.
India will bid to host the 2031 AFC Asian Cup, with government backing. AIFF is also exploring bids for AFC Beach Soccer and Futsal events.
On infrastructure, Chaubey noted that current stadiums are outdated. “We’ve requested state governments to build football-specific stadiums.”
Grassroots expansion was also highlighted, with five new academies planned. “We aim to develop 150 boys to form the core of U17, U20, U23 teams,” he said.
Regarding Overseas Citizens of India (OCI), Chaubey confirmed the AIFF is in touch with 33 eligible players and working with government agencies to allow their inclusion. “The initial response has been positive, but the process will take time,” he said.
