The AIFF on Thursday said that it will appoint the new head coach of the national men's football team by the end of this month, insisting that the federation has received overwhelming interest from across the world for the vacant post. The window for applying for the position ended on Wednesday. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has received a total of 291 applications from all over the world.

Out of this, 100 applicants have UEFA Pro License diplomas, while 20 hold AFC Pro License diplomas and three have CONMEBOL licenses.

"We have received an overwhelming response with some of the marquee names having expressed their interest in India," AIFF chief Kalyan Chaubey said in a statement.

"We are hoping to onboard the candidate by end July, to ensure India utilise the September FIFA window participation.

"As a next step, our committee headed by AIFF Vice President Mr NA Haris (along with Committee Chairpersons of Technical, League, Competitions, Finance, Development and the Treasurer) will review the applications, before placing the select list to the Executive Committee," he added.

The position is lying vacant after the AIFF sacked Igor Stimac last month, terminating his contract in the wake of India's ouster from FIFA World Cup Qualifiers despite getting a relatively easy draw.

Stimac, who was appointed as the head coach in 2019, was in last October given an extension until 2026 by the sport's apex body.

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