Crispin Chettri set to return as women’s national football team coach

PANAJI: A little over two months after being asked to step aside to make way for a foreign coach at the AFC Asian Cup 2026, Crispin Chettri is set to return as head coach of the women’s national team. In its first meeting after the Asian Cup, the All India Football Federation’s technical committee led by former India captain IM Vijayan suggested that Amelia Valverde’s contract should not be extended. The Costa Rican was brought in specifically to guide India at the continental showpiece in Australia where eight FIFA World Cup spots were on offer.India exited without a point, and the technical committee, in its latest meeting, felt it was best to revert to a domestic coach for the next two assignments: FIFA Series in Kenya and the SAFF Women’s Championship.“Crispin was a natural choice since he has already been in-charge of the national team,” a technical committee member told TOI on Saturday. “There were options, but we could not look beyond Crispin since there’s little time for any experiment.”