Indian Football Coach Stephen Constantine Likely to Get One-Year Extension

Kolkata: India football team coach Stephen Constantine is likely to get a one-year contract extension, top sources in the know confirmed on Thursday.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) general secretary Kushal Das has been entrusted by the technical task force, which met in Mumbai on Wednesday, to offer the Briton the extension, the source said.

"Stephen will continue for another year. Kushal will speak to him and offer an year's extension," he told IANS on condition of anonymity.

"By November 15 it will be confirmed," he said.

Constantine, who took over the reins of the Indian team in January 2015, is learnt to be presently in North Korea as a pro license course instructor.

Constantine's contract expires on February 28 next year.

Das is likely to offer him a contract once he returns, which will extend the association till February 2018.

The meeting in Mumbai was attended by AIFF technical committee chairman Bhaichung Bhutia, Western Indian Football Association's (WIFA) CEO Henry Menezes, Kerala Football Association secretary Anil Kumar and AIFF academy instructor Scott O'Donell, besides Das.

In his second stint as coach, Constantine failed to guide India in the 2018 World Cup/Asian Cup qualifiers with the side ending last in Group D, which also had Iran and Oman, and lowly ranked Guam.

He guided India to the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship win -- beating Afghanistan 1-0 in the summit clash -- in January this year.