The Bhaichung Bhutia-led technical committee of the AIFF will meet in Mumbai on Sunday to choose Wim Koevermans’ successor.

What seemed to be a straightforward decision has turned into an interesting tug-of-war between two Englishmen well versed with the Indian set-up. While Ashley Westwood was the frontrunner to become the chief coach of the national team, a few senior All India Football Federation (AIFF) officials have thrown their weight behind former manager Stephen Constantine.

The Bhaichung Bhutia-led technical committee of the AIFF will meet in Mumbai on Sunday to choose Wim Koevermans’ successor. Westwood was tipped to replace the Dutchman, having proven his mettle guiding debutants Bangalore FC to I-League title. However, Constantine’s remarkable journey with Rwanda has put him in contention as well. New Zealander Ricki Herbert, too, has an outside chance.

Some in the AIFF believe that despite his success in India and knowledge about domestic players, Westwood does not possess the necessary experience to become the national team manager. Moreover, if chosen, Westwood will take charge only in June, only after the conclusion of the next I-League season. In such a scenario, India will miss crucial FIFA friendly days, which could see the team take a further plunge in the rankings. At 171, India are currently at their lowest-ever ranking.

Constantine, on the other hand, has expressed his willingness to return to India before and his work with Rwanda has made the AIFF take note. Constantine served as the India coach from 2002 to 2005, during which they won the LG Cup in Vietnam and finished runners-up in the Afro Asian Games.

With Rwanda, he has had tremendous success in the last few months, guiding the Africans to their highest-ever world ranking of 68 in the latest list released by FIFA. In fact, they are the biggest movers in the rankings ladder.

“Stephen’s work with Rwanda and his understanding of Indian football cannot be ignored,” an AIFF official said.