Dronacharya Colaco wants to see more Indian football coaches in bigger roles

Armando Colaco, the genial former national football coach who will receive the prestigious Dronacharya award this month (January 2025), took a dig at the current influx of foreign coaches in his sport in India.

“The Indian coaches have the advantage of knowing the culture. That’s the most important factor. You know your players; you know your Mother India. It always helps,” the 70-year-old said.

Considered a lifetime achievement of sorts and given out by the union sports ministry, only two football coaches — Syed Nayeemuddin and Bimal Ghosh — have received it before Colaco.

This decision, then, also raises eyebrows as there has been no dearth of larger-than-life coaches. However, India’s dipping fortunes in football at the continental level may not have helped build a case.

Still actively coaching at the Sporting Clube de Goa, Colaco told the AIFF website: “I hope that I could be an inspiration to all the coaches because I’m like a bridge between the old generation and the new generation. This could be a sort of motivation for all Indian coaches since foreign coaches are currently playing a dominant role in Indian football.”

Colaco last coached the national team in 2011. The Indian senior men’s team had been under foreign coaches’ tutelage for more than a decade, while the Indian Super League (ISL) has ushered in a large entourage of overseas coaches and support staff from various countries.

During his short stint as the national coach, Colaco has had some impressive results, including a 2–1 victory over Qatar in a friendly at Doha. The same year, Colaco guided India to a creditable 2–2 draw against the United Arab Emirates in a World Cup qualifying match in Delhi.

“However, etched in my memory will always be the 0–3 defeat we suffered against UAE in the away tie. We were reduced to nine men within 25 minutes because of two red cards. I had to quickly change the tactics and shuffle the players to stay in the game,” said Colaco.

As a club coach with a career spanning over four decades, Colaco took Dempo Sports Club to new heights.

Dempo won the National Football League twice and the I-League three times, while a number of his proteges — including Samir Naik, Mahesh Gawli, Clifford Miranda and Climax Lawrence — went on to sport the national colours for many years.

“I had players who went on to play for the national team and even captain the Blue Tigers. God has rewarded me. That’s the greatest satisfaction because I have really worked very hard all these years,” said the veteran.

Kolkata Derby

Colaco is also no stranger to the pressure cooker atmosphere of Kolkata football and the high stakes of its Derby clash. “I get immense pleasure in taking up challenges. When I accepted the coaching offer from East Bengal, I was told that the match against Mohun Bagan is always considered the most crucial. I quietly accepted the challenge. During my tenure, East Bengal played six matches against Mohun Bagan and didn’t lose any,” Colaco said.

As someone who has been there and done that, what does he hope to achieve in his current assignment with the modest Sporting Clube de Goa? “My aim now is to take the club to the I-League, and I hope to succeed soon,” he signed off.