NewKerala.com

Key Points

India has been drawn in Group H with Qatar, Bahrain, and Brunei Darussalam for the AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers. Qatar, the group's highest seed, will host the matches in September. India's U23 national team will be led by newly appointed head coach Naushad Moosa. The team plans to optimize international windows for friendlies as they prepare for the qualifiers.

Key Points: India Faces Qatar Bahrain in AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers

  • India joins Qatar and Bahrain in Group H matches
  • AFC U23 qualifiers to determine spots for Saudi Arabia 2026
  • Naushad Moosa to lead India's U23 squad preparation
2 min read

India to play Qatar, Bahrain, Brunei Darussalam in AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers

India joins Group H alongside Qatar, Bahrain, Brunei for AFC U23 qualifiers this September.

"India's U23 squad looks to leverage international windows for crucial exposure and prep. - Coach Moosa"

New Delhi, May 29

India have been drawn in Group H of the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers after the draw ceremony was conducted at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Drawn alongside India in Group H are Qatar, Bahrain, and Brunei Darussalam. Qatar, the highest-seeded team among the four, will host Group H, with the matches slated to be played between September 1 to 9.

A total of 44 teams were divided into 11 groups of four each. The group winners and the four best runners-up, alongside hosts Saudi Arabia, will complete the cast of 16 teams for the seventh edition of the AFC U23 Asian Cup, which will take place in January 2026.

The seedings for the draw were based on a points system derived from the teams' final rankings across the previous three editions of the tournament. India were placed in Pot 3.

India had earlier appointed Naushad Moosa has the head coach of their U23 national team. Moosa takes charge of the U23s on June 1, when the Blue Colts assemble in Kolkata for a training camp, before flying off to Tajikistan to play two exposure friendly matches against Tajikistan (June 18) and Kyrgyz Republic (June 21).

The India U23s will utilise all the FIFA International windows to set camp and play exposure friendlies to prepare for the AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers.

AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026 Qualifiers Draw Result:

Group A: Jordan (H), Turkmenistan, Chinese Taipei, Bhutan

Group B: Japan, Kuwait, Myanmar (H), Afghanistan

Group C: Vietnam (H), Yemen, Singapore, Bangladesh

Group D: Australia, China (H), Timor-Leste, Northern Mariana Islands

Group E: Uzbekistan, Palestine, Kyrgyz Republic (H), Sri Lanka

Group F: Thailand (H), Malaysia, Lebanon, Mongolia

Group G: Iraq, Cambodia (H), Oman, Pakistan

Group H: Qatar (H), Bahrain, India, Brunei Darussalam

Group I: United Arab Emirates (H), IR Iran, Hong Kong China, Guam

Group J: Korea Republic, Indonesia (H), Laos, Macau

Group K: Tajikistan, Syria, Philippines, Nepal

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

Here are 6 diverse Indian perspective comments for the article:
R
Rahul K.
Tough group but not impossible! Qatar will be the biggest challenge, but we can target Bahrain and Brunei for wins. Hope Moosa can bring out the best in our young players. Jai Hind! 🇮🇳⚽
P
Priya M.
Good to see India investing in youth development. The exposure matches in Tajikistan will be crucial preparation. But why aren't we hosting any qualifiers? Home advantage could have helped.
A
Arjun S.
Qatar and Bahrain have strong football cultures. Our boys need to be physically and mentally prepared for this challenge. Hope AIFF provides proper facilities and training. #BlueTigers
S
Sunita R.
Interesting to see our neighbors Pakistan and Bangladesh in different groups. Would have been exciting derbies! But focus should be on our performance. All the best to the team! 🙏
V
Vikram J.
Our U23 team has potential but needs more international exposure. The Tajikistan friendlies are a good start. Hope we can at least finish second in the group and qualify as one of the best runners-up.
N
Neha P.
Football is growing in India but we're still behind Middle Eastern teams. Need long-term planning like Japan/Korea. Still, proud of our boys for reaching this level. Let's support them! 💙

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50