New football coach on Monday

MUMBAI: India will have a new national coach on Monday, All India Football Federation president Priyaranjan Dasmunsi said here on Saturday.

 

"We are awaiting the arrival of a candidate from Portugal on Saturday or Sunday. We will go through the technical committee's report after interviewing him before announcing the new coach on Monday," Dasmunsi told a press conference here.
    
The AIFF's technical committee has interviewed Englishman Bob Houghton and Irishman Brian Kerr. It was thought the former has secured the job before Saturday's announcement by the AIFF president at a function to launch the Super Cup tie between National Football League champions Mahindra United and runners-up East Bengal.

 

Dasmunsi also announced that a fully professional football league, to replace the semi-professional one, is expected to see the light of the day in 2007 and added that the Nehru Cup international tournament will be revived with financial backing from the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation.

 

"There are five criteria for clubs to become fully professional, including the facility of having their own ground. If at least six clubs meet this criterion, we can launch the fully professional league in 2007. Otherwise, it will be deferred," the AIFF president said.