| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 2 August 1975 | ||
| Place of birth | Thrissur, Kerala, India | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Thrissur Magic (assistant coach) | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1992–93 | SBT | ||
| 1993–94 | Mohun Bagan | ||
| 1994–97 | JCT Football Club | ||
| 1997–98 | FC Cochin | ||
| 1998–99 | Mohun Bagan | ||
| 1999–01 | FC Cochin | ||
| 2001–02 | East Bengal | (7) | |
| 2002–04 | JCT Football Club | ||
| 2004–05 | Mohun Bagan | ||
| International career | |||
| 2002 | India U23 | ||
| 1993–2005 | India | 41 | (11 [1] ) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2012–2013 | Eagles FC | ||
| 2024–2025 | Forca Kochi FC (assistant) | ||
| 2025– | Thrissur Magic (assistant) | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Jo Paul Ancheri (born 2 August 1975) is an Indian football coach and former player, currently working with Super League Kerala club Forca Kochi FC. He also had captained the India national football team. [2] He was named the AIFF Player of the Year by the All India Football Federation in 1994 and 2001. [3] He recently worked as a Malayalam commentator and pundit on Star Sports Malayalam with the leading commentator Shaiju Damodaran. [4] He is currently assistant coach at Thrissur Magic.
Born in Thrissur, Kerala, Ancheri began his professional career in 1992 playing for State Bank of Travancore. [5] He went on to play for many leading football clubs including Mohun Bagan, JCT Mills, [6] [7] FC Kochin, [8] and East Bengal. He was a versatile player who could play in any position including defender, defensive midfielder, midfielder, and striker. [9] With JCT Mills Phagwara, he won the 1996–97 National Football League. [10]
Ancheri made his senior international debut for India against Bangladesh on 14 September 1994 in a 4–2 win, when he scored a goal. [11] Ancheri was also a member of the Indian team for the Nehru Gold Cup in Calcutta, and of the under-23 side, which took part in the pre-Olympic tournament. He later suffered a knee injury for the rest of the season and came back with the colours of FC Kochin in 1997. [12]
Ancheri played in a number of tournaments such as FIFA World Cup qualifiers, the SAFF Championship, and the South Asian Games, and helped the team win the South Asian Football Federation Cup in 1999. [13] [14] He was part of the Syed Naeemuddin-managed Indian team that participated in the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok and reached the second round. [15] [16]
With India, he appeared in the 2002 World Cup Qualifiers, when India defeated teams like United Arab Emirates, Brunei and Yemen. India secured 11 points from 6 matches, the same as Yemen, but finished behind them due to an inferior goal difference. [17] In that year, Ancheri was part of the Bhaichung Bhutia-led Indian team that won the LG Cup, defeating the host nation Vietnam 3–2. [18] He later appeared in the 2003 Afro-Asian Games, when India finished as runners-up behind Uzbekistan. [19]
In August 2025, he was appointed assistant coach of Super League Kerala club Thrissur Magic. [20]
Source : [21]
JCT Mills
FC Kochin
Mohun Bagan
East Bengal
India
India U-23
Maharashtra
Individual