Rozario, Moosa among top Indian names applied for men's football team head coach's position

New Delhi: Former Mohun Bagan and East Bengal coach Stanley Rozario and current NorthEast United assistant coach Nausad Moosa were among a host of Indians who have applied for the national team head coach's position, left vacant after the sacking of Igor Stimac.

Altogether, 291 applications were received by the All India Football Federation from all over the world. Out of this, 100 applicants have UEFA Pro License diplomas against their names, while 20 are AFC Pro License diploma holders. Three have CONMEBOL (South American Football Confederation) licenses.

Rozario and Moosa are among the AFC Pro License diploma holders.

Antonio Lopez Habas, who guided Mohun Bagan Super Giant to 2023-24 ISL League Shield, has also applied.

"Stanley Rozario and Nausad Moosa are among the Indians who have applied and who hold AFC Pro License. Antonio Habas has also applied," an AIFF official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

The 64-year-old Rozario began his coaching career with Services and Indian Army before serving as assistant coach of the national team under Bob Houghton from 2006-2008. He was at the helm of affairs at East Bengal (2008–2009) and Mohun Bagan (2010–2011). He was with Aizwal FC in the I-League from 2019 to 2021 and for a few months in 2022.

The 52-year-old Moosa, a former India player, is a former Air India coach in the I-League. He was made interim head coach of Bengaluru FC in 2021 and is currently the assistant coach of ISL side NorthEast United.

It is learnt that shortlisted candidates will be presented to the AIFF executive committee meeting to be held on July 20. Before that, a committee headed by AIFF Vice President NA Haris -- with chairpersons of Technical, League, Competitions, Finance and Development committees and the treasurer -- will review the applications.

The AIFF had said that a new men's team coach will be known by the end of this month.

The July 20 AIFF executive committee meeting will also discuss how the roadmap of Indian football agreed upon in 2019 could be implemented in full after the I-League Clubs Association sent a letter to the federation, raising concerns on a few key issues.

Under the Indian football roadmap agreed upon by the stakeholders in 2019 with the involvement of the continental body, the top-tier Indian Super League (ISL) was to have relegation from the upcoming 2024-25 season onwards, but nothing is known in the public domain till now regarding this. The ISL starts on September 14.

The other part of the roadmap has been fulfilled as I-League champions of 2022-23 season -- Punjab FC -- have been promoted to the ISL (2023-24) season. Mohammedan Sporting, the 2023-24 I-League champions, are also promoted to the ISL (2024-25 season).

In a letter to the AIFF chief and executive committee members, I-League Clubs Association president Ranjit Bajaj has threatened legal action if the AIFF does not follow the Indian football roadmap.