Khalid Jamil accepts responsibility after India’s 6-1 defeat by Uruguay

Khalid Jamil accepted responsibility after India’s 6-1 loss to Uruguay at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata in the FIFA international window on October 6, 2026, saying his game plan had fallen short and refusing to blame his players.

India’s international window began with a 1-1 draw against Panama in Bengaluru and continued with a 4-0 loss to Brazil before the heavy defeat by Uruguay; across the two back-to-back losses to Brazil and Uruguay the team conceded 10 goals and Anirudh Thapa scored India’s only goal. A 35-minute weather delay interrupted the Kolkata match, during which Uruguay regained control after Thapa’s equaliser and added four more goals.

Jamil said the pressure of facing stronger opponents and the timing at the start of the season contributed to the result. “These things happen. The pressure is there because we are playing against good teams, especially at the start of the season. It is not just about concentration. It is not that the players did not listen to me. I have never felt that way. Everybody is listening. Talking about this game, you could say my plan was not up to the mark,” he said.

The coach described conceding 10 goals in two matches as unacceptable and placed the responsibility on himself rather than on individuals. “Conceding 10 goals in two matches is very bad. But, as I said, it is my mistake, and I do not want to blame anyone else,” he said.

Jamil identified recurring problems after the opening periods of matches and raised fitness and concentration as possible factors behind the drop-off in performance. “From all the matches you have seen, the first 30 minutes were okay. After that, maybe fitness was an issue, or concentration. There are many things. During the game, after that period, and then again around the 60th or 70th minute, I could see more problems. We have to think about that and address it next time,” he said.

He also called for more preparation time and stressed that selection would remain competitive as the team builds toward upcoming fixtures. “We need to have more camps. I think all the players are at a similar level, but we have to choose the best ones. There are matches coming up, and we will see who performs the best. This is the start of the season, and we are also playing against New Zealand next,” Jamil said, with the Indian Super League scheduled to begin on October 10 according to the same reporting.

Jamil defended the decision to schedule friendlies against Brazil and Uruguay as collective and useful tests despite the scorelines, and he said facing stronger teams was necessary. “Whatever was decided was done collectively. We should not say that these were bad fixtures just because the results did not go in our favour. If the results had been good, we would have said these were necessary fixtures. But, yes, we need to play against big teams and good teams,” he said. The coaching staff said the value of those matches will depend on how effectively India analyse the defeats and use the experience.

India will travel to New Zealand for a two-match tour in November; the Blue Tigers are scheduled to face the hosts in Auckland on November 12 and Christchurch on November 15, with both matches falling within the FIFA international window, and the trip will mark India’s first-ever visit to New Zealand, whose team featured at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.