In international football, the first match under a new coach often carries more weight than the scoreline suggests. It is a statement of intent, a tactical sketch of what might follow, and at times, an early warning of systemic flaws. For Indian football, the past six years have seen three defining debuts Igor Štimac’s 3–1 loss to Curacao in 2019, Manolo Márquez’s 0–0 draw with Mauritius in 2024, and Khalid Jamil’s 2–1 win over Tajikistan in 2025.
Together, these matches form a trilogy of first steps that reveal as much about India’s footballing identity as they do about the men in the dugout.
Štimac’s Bold Gamble (2019)
When Igor Štimac, a World Cup veteran with Croatia, took charge of India in May 2019, the mood was one of cautious optimism. His appointment promised modernisation: more proactive football, more emphasis on technical progression, and less reliance on the reactive, long-ball style that had defined previous eras.
His first test came at the King’s Cup in Thailand against Curacao, then ranked comfortably higher than India. The match ended 3–1 in Curacao’s favour, but the scoreline only tells half the story. Štimac introduced an aggressive pressing system and asked his players to build from the back with short passing.
India looked bolder, but also exposed. Curacao capitalised on defensive gaps and scored thrice inside half an hour.
The lone consolation came from Sunil Chhetri’s penalty after Sahal Abdul Samad was fouled fittingly, one of six players making their international debuts that day. Alongside Sahal, Brandon Fernandes and Rahul Bheke impressed, underlining Štimac’s willingness to trust new blood.
The loss was, in many ways, symbolic. It was less about the result and more about intent. But as time would show, Štimac’s boldness would repeatedly clash with the practical constraints of Indian football.
His frustrations with the AIFF, from scheduling to unpaid wages, eventually overshadowed his tactical ideas. Still, his debut remains significant: the first visible attempt to drag Indian football into a modern identity.
Márquez’s Frustrating Stalemate (2024)
Five years later, India turned to a familiar name from the ISL. Manolo Márquez, who had guided Hyderabad FC to an ISL title and FC Goa to silverware, was appointed national coach in 2024. But his appointment came with a complication: he continued to coach FC Goa while handling the national team a dual role that raised eyebrows and limited his ability to devote full attention to the Blue Tigers.
His debut came at the Intercontinental Cup against Mauritius. On paper, India dominated. They held nearly 70% possession, completed close to 500 passes with high accuracy, and controlled the tempo throughout. Yet, it ended in a 0–0 draw. The numbers told a damning story: only one shot on target in 90 minutes.
Márquez tried to fix things at half-time, bringing on Sahal Abdul Samad and Nandhakumar Sekar to add creativity, but India still struggled to convert sterile possession into meaningful attacks. The match became a metaphor for his short tenure elegant control with no cutting edge.
In hindsight, this was the clearest sign of the disconnect between Márquez’s ideas and the national team’s realities. Club football, where he thrived, allowed him months of work with players. The national stage, with its sporadic camps and limited training windows, offered no such luxury. Within eight games, Márquez was gone, his tenure remembered less for progress and more for what might have been.
Jamil’s Pragmatic Victory (2025)
If Štimac was the dreamer and Márquez the stylist, Khalid Jamil entered as the pragmatist. His appointment in August 2025 was historic: the first full-time Indian coach of the men’s national team in over a decade.
More importantly, it came at a time when India’s footballing mood was bleak. The team had failed to reach the third round of World Cup qualifiers, and several key players were unavailable for the CAFA Nations Cup opener against Tajikistan.
What followed was, arguably, the best debut of them all. India scored twice inside the opening 13 minutes, both goals coming from defenders Anwar Ali and Sandesh Jhingan. Both goals stemmed from long throw-ins a Jamil trademark from his I-League and ISL days. After that, India shut shop. They sat deep, defended in numbers, and trusted their goalkeeper.
That goalkeeper, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, produced one of the defining performances of his career. He saved a crucial second-half penalty, made several reflex stops, and commanded his box with authority. India held on for a 2–1 win their first over Tajikistan in 17 years, and their first competitive victory in nearly two years.
It was not pretty. It was not expansive. But it was effective. And it perfectly embodied Jamil’s philosophy: play to your strengths, minimise risks, and value results over aesthetics.
Three Coaches, Three Philosophies
Looking at these three debuts side by side offers a striking contrast.
- Štimac prioritised philosophy over results. His defeat to Curacao showcased ambition, but also fragility.
- Márquez emphasised control, but his draw with Mauritius highlighted India’s long-standing creative deficit.
- Jamil simplified everything. His win over Tajikistan proved that, sometimes, pragmatism and defensive grit can deliver what lofty ideals cannot.
Each debut also revealed something about squad management. Štimac blooded six new players. Márquez, despite a full squad, could not find the right mix. Jamil worked with a depleted team, yet maximised output with a simple, disciplined structure.
What ties these stories together is a sobering truth: no coach, however talented, can escape the structural challenges of Indian football. Limited preparation time due to domestic league scheduling, inconsistent player conditioning, and administrative inefficiencies continue to handicap progress.
Štimac clashed publicly with the AIFF over these very issues. Márquez, despite domestic success, found himself unable to translate it onto the international stage because of the same limitations. Jamil, for now, has cut through by keeping things simple but whether that works against stronger opposition remains to be seen.
Debuts are not destinies, but they are often previews. Štimac’s loss, Márquez’s draw, and Jamil’s win are more than statistics; they are windows into contrasting philosophies. They also serve as reminders that while tactical ideas matter, the larger ecosystem matters more.
For Indian football to truly grow, it must solve the recurring challenges that plague every coach: poor preparation, inadequate infrastructure, and a fractured domestic-to-international pipeline. Until then, coaches will continue to make symbolic first steps, only to stumble against systemic barriers.
Khalid Jamil’s debut offers hope not because it promises revolution, but because it proves that clarity and pragmatism can still deliver results. Whether it sparks a new era or becomes another chapter in the cycle remains the question.
