Shillong, Feb 13: Aizawl FC have changed horses mid-stream and their new pick for head coach is a familiar face in Shillong – Santosh Kashyap.
The I-League defending champions, who are currently in sixth place, announced the hiring of Kashyap today after sacking Paulo Meneses following a six-match winless streak.
Kashyap has had a mixed run as coach of various Indian teams, but perhaps his best success came with the erstwhile Royal Wahingdoh FC, which finished in third place in 2014-15, the club’s first and only season in the I-League. That is still the best finish any team from the North East has ever had in an I-League debut year.
The year before that Kashyap headed fellow Shillong-based side Rangdajied United FC, also in their debut season. However, RUFC didn’t start their campaign well and Kashyap was discarded halfway through.
After Wahingdoh quit the I-League the gaffer was hired by Salgaocar in 2015-16 and helped the Goan team avoid relegation after a string of defeats.
The 51-year-old was next put in charge of Mumbai FC in 2016-17, but was sacked midway with the club’s campaign in the doldrums; they were eventually relegated.
He now has just five matches to turn things around for Aizawl, who face Shillong Lajong here on 19th February.
(File photo of Santosh Kashyap while in charge of Rangdajied United)