Englishman Stephen Constantine has resigned as India’s head coach after they were knocked out of the AFC Asian Cup following a 1-0 defeat by Bahrain in Sharjah on Monday.

Needing a draw to progress to the knockout stage, India finished bottom of Group A after conceding an injury-time penalty that allowed Bahrain to leapfrog them into third place.

Constantine said he was stepping down having achieved the target of helping India qualify for the continental showpiece after an eight-year gap. The side also broke into the top 100 in the FIFA rankings for the first time ever last year.

From the Cypriot fourth division to the Indian national team, Stephen Constantine’s career has taken the scenic route, Constantine has been used to life on the road; his sense of adventure dwarfed only by his appetite to improve and develop those he works with.

Stephen Constantine has managed five national teams, which is more than any other Englishman. His first national job was in Nepal in 1999; he has since managed India, Sudan, Malawi, and Rwanda. Born in London, and raised in England and Cyprus, Constantine also spent a year as Millwall’s first team coach. He is now in charge of the Indian national team for the second time, and runs FIFA courses for coaches and players around the world.