Former midfielder Sukhwinder Singh named as Indian coach

Indian soccer authorities have appointed former midfielder Sukhwinder Singh as national coach after the team's poor performance in an international tournament last month.

Singh, coach of former national league champions JCT, replaces Uzbekistan's Islam Akhmedov for the first round World Cup qualifying matches, said All India Football Federation Secretary Alberto Colaco.

Akhmedov, who was hired last year as coach for the junior teams, was appointed at the last minute for the Millennium Cup tournament held across the country last month.

India were beaten 3-0 by both Uruguay B and Iceland and knocked out in the preliminary stage of the tournament.

Akhmedov is to continue training the under-16 and under-19 teams until next year's Asian youth tournaments, Colaco said.

India play their home matches in the first round World Cup Asian zone qualifying tournament in April in the southern city of Bangalore.

India play the United Arab Emirates in the first round on April 8, followed by matches against Yemen on April 15 and Brunei on April 20.

Colaco said the probable players for the tournament would be named on February 16.