Thomas Dennerby, the head coach of the Indian U17 Women’s World Cup, has been appointed head coach of the Indian national team by the All India Football Federation with immediate effect. The 62-year-old Swede replaces Maymol Rocky, who quit after four years.
Maymol, a former Indian international from Goa, has coached the team since 2017 but quit this year for personal reasons. In 2018, India set a kind of record when it reached the second round of Olympic qualifying for the first time. In 2019 India won the South Asian Football Association Championship and the gold medal at the South Asian Games in Kathmandu.
Also holding a UEFA professional diploma, Dennerby coached several countries before coming to India in 2019 to head the U-17 squad for the canceled World Cup.
In 2011 he led the Swedish women’s national team to third place at the FIFA World Cup, and Sweden reached the quarter-finals at the 2012 London Olympics. Before taking office as a U-17 coach in India, he was also the head coach of the Nigerian women’s national team. Dennerby’s deputy Alex Ambrose will lead the U-17 World Cup squad.
“I am grateful to the All India Football Federation for finding me suitable for the job. It is an honor to be the head coach of India’s senior women’s team, ”Dennerby told AIFF.com. “I was in India and I am aware of the great potential. Getting the girls fit for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup is a big challenge. Life consists of challenges and I enjoy it. “
India will host the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2022 from January 20th to February 6th.
“Thomas will bring immense added value to the women’s team. He knows India and we look forward to seeing him technically and competitively improve our team, ”said Kushal Das, Secretary General of AIFF.
AIFF also hopes India will be allowed to play international friendly games, even if Covid restrictions and quarantine rules have been relaxed everywhere. AIFF also said plans to host an international tournament for women in India soon. The association hopes to hold the Seniors National Championships in November and the Hero IWL in March / April 2022 in Bhubaneswar.
