AIFF’s moves come ahead of India hosting the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup from January 20 to February 6.
Thomas Dennerby, the head coach of the Indian under-17 Women’s World Cup squad, has been named by the All India Football Federation as head coach of the Indian senior women’s national team with immediate effect. The 62-year-old from Sweden replaces Maymol Rocky who quit a couple of months after a four-year stint.
Maymol, a former India international from Goa, was coaching the team since 2017 but quit early this year for personal reasons. In 2018, India set a record of sorts when they reached the second round of the Olympic qualifiers for the first time. In 2019, India won the South Asian Football Federation Championship and gold medal in the Kathmandu South Asian Games.
Dennerby who also holds the UEFA Pro Diploma Holder, has been training several countries before coming to India in 2019 and taking the charge of the U-17 squad for the World Cup which has been cancelled.
In 2011, he took Sweden’s women’s national team to a third-place finish in the FIFA World Cup, and in the 2012 London Olympic Games, Sweden reached quarterfinals. Before taking up the role of U-17 coach in India, he also served as the head coach of the Nigerian women’s national team. Dennerby’s deputy Alex Ambrose will take charge of the U-17 World Cup squad.
“I am grateful to the All India Football Federation for finding me suitable for the job. It’s an honour to be taking over as the head coach of the Indian senior women’s national team,” Dennerby told AIFF.com. “I have been in India and am aware of the huge potential. It is a big challenge to get the girls ready for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup. Life is all about challenges, and I relish it.”
India are to host the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup from January 20 to February 6.
“Thomas will bring in immense value addition to the women’s team. He is acquainted with India, and we look forward to him improving our team technically and competitively,” said Kushal Das, general secretary, AIFF.
AIFF also hopes India will be allowed to play international friendlies even as Covid restrictions and quarantine rules have been relaxed all over. AIFF also said about plans to host an international tournament for women’s in India soon. The federation hopes to conduct the Senior National Championships in November and the Hero IWL is March/April 2022 in Bhubaneswar.
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