New Delhi: Last year, India had a chance to play a friendly against Brazil in London, but couldn’t avail the opportunity as the date clashed with the Asia Cup schedule.

This year, Indian football missed yet another Brazilian connection when the All India Football Federation (AIFF) couldn’t appoint a coach who had a recommendation from Pele.

“Yes, we received an application from a Brazilian coach. He had a certificate from Pele attached with his bio-data,” said AIFF general secretary Alberto Colaco on Wednesday.

“At the moment I don’t even remember the name of the coach,” Colaco said. “The name was forwarded to us by the Indian Embassy in Brazil. But it came long after we had already appointed Bob Houghton as the national coach.”

Colaco said that Brazilian soccer officials would hold a meeting with AIFF chief Priya Ranjan Das Munshi, during the Brazilian president’s visit to India early next month.