Armando Colaco set to be named interim India coach

The AIFF search for a successor to Bob Houghton continues, but if the Executive Committee on Friday give their go-ahead and the same comes from the Dempo Group management, then Armando Colaco will be named interim coach of the senior Indian national football team for a three month period from June to August.

This step has become necessary as the I-League season is set to end in less then two weeks, while the second Round Asian qualifiers for the 2014 FIFA World Cup against the United Arab Emirates are to be played on July 23 and 28.

In Bangalore the AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das yesterday said, "There are still some things that need to be sorted out, but we are in advanced talks with Colaco to take over the reins."

Colaco would take a break from his club Dempo SC to manage Team India, but return to coach his club once those three months are over ahead of the next I-League. Also if made national coach then Armando would retain Savio Medeira as assistant coach and Marcus Pacheco as goalkeeping coach.

In taking this decision it would give the AIFF more time to find a suitable successor for Bob Houghton plus allow the new foreign coach, who is likely to have little to no knowledge about the Indian footballers, to come in and get to know the players whom he could call-up for the national team thereafter.