Crispin Chettri Reappointed as India Women’s Head Coach Ahead of FIFA Series
Crispin Chettri is back in charge of the Indian women’s national team, restored to the hot seat just months after being replaced and with another international window looming.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) confirmed his reappointment on Tuesday, handing the 42-year-old the reins again as India prepare in Nairobi for the FIFA Series 2026 Kenya.
A swift turn of the coaching carousel, and a clear change of direction.
Valverde Out, Chettri Back In
Chettri steps back into the role vacated by Amelia Valverde, whose brief spell with India ended in disappointment at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup earlier this year. Valverde, brought in January to replace Chettri, oversaw a campaign that never caught fire.
India returned to the continental stage in Australia after more than two decades away, but the comeback fell flat. No wins. A group-stage exit. A chance to make a statement instead turned into an early flight home.
Last month, the AIFF Technical Committee drew a line under that chapter, choosing not to renew Valverde’s contract. The reset has come quickly.
Familiar Face, New Challenge
For Chettri, this is no fresh introduction. He had already guided the side through the qualifiers for the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup after first being appointed in February last year. He knows the group, the gaps, and the expectations.
Now he has a new platform to work from.
In Nairobi, India will test themselves in the friendly tournament FIFA Series 2026 Kenya, with Chettri naming a 22-member squad for the assignment. It is a chance to restore rhythm, rebuild confidence and, crucially, lay down a clearer identity after a turbulent few months.
New-Look Backroom Team
There is change behind the scenes as well.
Sujata Kar, honoured as the 2025 AIFF Women’s Coach of the Year, joins the setup as assistant coach, adding fresh tactical input and a strong domestic coaching pedigree. Fysal K Bapu comes in as goalkeeping coach, tasked with sharpening a department that will be under constant scrutiny at international level.
Chettri now fronts a staff that blends familiarity with new voices. The responsibility, though, is unmistakably his.
India arrive in Kenya with scars from Australia still visible, but with a coach who has already lived one cycle with this team and now gets a rare second shot. How quickly he can turn that continuity into progress will shape far more than just this international window.
