Naushad Moosa's U23 boys all set for Tajikistan test

Led by head coach Naushad Moosa, the India U23s had been camping in Kolkata since June 1 before travelling to the Central Asian nation. After landing in the capital Dushanbe on Monday evening, Moosa's 23-member squad had a mobility session on Tuesday morning and will hold a 90-minute training session in the evening. On June 21, India will meet the Kyrgyz Republic in the second game.

"The boys are very eager for tomorrow. I've been talking to them about how important these games will be for us," said Moosa, for whom it's his second tour with the U23 team, after coaching them in two friendlies against Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur last year.

For the Blue Colts, these matches in Tajikistan are part of their preparations for the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers that will be held in September. India will face Bahrain, Qatar and Brunei Darussalam as they aim to qualify for the U23 continental event for the first time.

Despite Dushanbe being located 700 metres above sea level, the weather is hot at this time of the year, soaring to almost 40 degrees during the day. What the Blue Colts mainly have to adjust to is the artificial turf surface of the Hisor Central Stadium, located 25 kilometres from the city of Dushanbe. Moosa hoped for a good turnout at the 20,000-capacity venue.

"The weather is pretty warm. It's normal for us. It's always good to have supporters in the stands. We would love to have them cheer for us. Most of our players are coming here for the first time, so it would be great motivation for them. I think the last time the Indian senior team played in Tajikistan, there were a lot of Indian fans in the stadium, so let's hope for the same," said the 53-year-old.

Tajikistan U23s were last in action in November 2024 when they lost two friendlies against the United Arab Emirates, both by a 0-3 margin. At the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2024, Tajikistan were knocked out in the group stage after defeats to Iraq and Saudi Arabia and a win over Thailand. But the team structure changes every year in youth football, and Moosa expects a different yet strong challenge on Wednesday.

"We know Tajikistan are a strong team. They qualified for the U23 Asian Cup last year and also did well at the senior Asian Cup. The players will, of course, be different tomorrow. The coach has changed. We just have to go out there and do our job right," said Moosa.