India gear up for Tajikistan test ahead of U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers
New Delhi, India men's football team will take on hosts Tajikistan in a friendly match on Wednesday, kicking off a crucial two-match tour that serves as preparation for the AFC U-23 Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers later this year.
The match will be played at the Hisor Central Stadium near Dushanbe, with the second fixture against Kyrgyz Republic scheduled for Saturday.
Drawn in Group E alongside Bahrain, Qatar and Brunei Darussalam, India will be aiming to qualify for the continental event for the first time when the qualifiers are held in September.
The ongoing tour is seen as a vital tune-up in terms of acclimatisation, team cohesion, and tactical fine-tuning.
The Naushad Moosa-coached 23-member squad had been in camp in Kolkata since June 1 before flying out to Dushanbe.
After arriving in the Tajik capital on Monday evening, the team held a mobility session Tuesday morning and followed it up with a 90-minute evening training session at the venue, which is located around 25 kilometres from the city.
Tajikistan U23s were last in action in November 2024 when they lost two friendlies against 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.
Moosa, however, is not reading too much into past results and is focused on the task at hand.
"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," Moosa stated in AIFF website.
"The players will, of course, be different tomorrow. The coach has changed. We just have to go out there and do our job right," added Moosa.
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," said Moosa.
"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."
This tour marks Moosa's second assignment with the India U-23 side, having previously overseen their two friendlies against Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur last year.
The 53-year-old has been building momentum and instilling belief in the squad during this ongoing preparation phase.
'The boys are very eager for tomorrow. I've been talking to them about how important these games will be for us,' added Moosa.
Kickoff: 8:30pm IST.
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