Latest news with #AFCU-23
Iraqi News
06-08-2025
- Sport
- Iraqi News
Iraq's Olympic football team draws 1-1 with Bahrain in final friendly
Baghdad ( – Iraq's Olympic national football team played to a 1-1 draw with their Bahraini counterparts today, Tuesday (August 5, 2025), in the second friendly match between the two teams. The game took place at Basra International Stadium as a final preparation for the upcoming AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers. The match saw Karrar Ali Hassan score for the Iraqi team in the 41st minute. However, Bahrain managed to find an equalizer through Abdullah Al-Subaie in the 95th minute of added time, securing the draw. The first friendly between the two sides had ended in a 1-0 victory for Iraq. Prior to the match, both teams observed a minute of silence to mourn the passing of former national team player Shaddrak Youssef, who passed away on Tuesday after a battle with illness. Coach Emad Mohammed used the friendly to test his squad, making numerous changes in the second half to assess player readiness. The Olympic team's preparatory matches are part of a training program for the AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers, which are set to take place in Cambodia early next September. Iraq has been drawn into Group G, where they will face teams from Pakistan, Oman, and the host nation, Cambodia.
Arab Times
02-08-2025
- Sport
- Arab Times
Kuwait U-23 outclasses Kazma in pre-qualifier tune-up
KUWAIT CITY, Aug 2: Kuwait's Olympic football team earned a 3-1 victory over Kazma in a friendly match at the sub-stadium of Al-Sadaqua and Al-Salam. Abdulrahman Al-Rashidi opened the scoring for the Olympic side, while Khaled Al-Khurqawi netted twice to secure the win. The Olympic team is scheduled to play a second friendly against Fahaheel this Thursday before departing next week to Thailand for a training camp, part of its final preparations for the upcoming AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers. Kuwait will compete in Group B alongside Japan, Afghanistan, and host nation Myanmar. The qualifiers will be held from September 1 to 9, with the finals set to take place in Saudi Arabia in January. On the other side, Kazma continues its buildup for the new Zain Premier League season, kicking off on September 12 with a match against Al-Salmiya. Meanwhile, Kazma welcomed the arrival of their Algerian import Idris Shaibi, who joined team training on Sunday afternoon following his arrival in Kuwait.
Observer
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Observer
Oman U-23 to take part at International friendly in Bishkek
MUSCAT: Oman U-23 football team will take part in an international tournament which will be hosted in Kyrgyzstan during July 17 to 23 in Bishkek city. The football preparatory event will feature participation of four teams including: Syria, Bahrain, the hosts Kyrgyzstan and the Sultanate of Oman team. Oman team, coached by Badar al Maimani, will aim to utilise this participation with maximum technical output as they are gearing up for the main assignment which is taking part at the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026 Qualifiers in coming September. The Olympic team will begin their friendly campaign in Bishkek with a match against Bahrain team in the opener on July 17 while they will take on Kyrgyzstan on July 20 in the following match. They will conclude their matches with a clash against Syria team on July 23. All the matches will be held in two venues including: Alga Bishkek Stadium and Dolen Omurzakov Stadium in Bishkek city. At the Asian qualifiers in coming September, the national Olympic team will compete in Group F alongside Iraq, Pakistan and hosts Cambodia at the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026 Qualifiers. The qualification matches will run from September 1 to 9, with Oman opening their campaign against Cambodia on September 3, facing Iraq on September 6 and concluding against Pakistan on September 9. The group winners and the best four runners-up across all groups will qualify for the finals, joining the host nation Saudi Arabia. The warm up gatherings focused on tactical drills, fitness sessions and team-building activities The team began on Sunday a short domestic camp in Muscat and it will run until Wednesday including 24 players called by coach, Badar al Maimani. This gathering will be followed by another camp until the travel day to Bishkek and both camps will act as part of the team's preparations for the upcoming AFC U-23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026 Qualifiers. The warm up gatherings focused on tactical drills, fitness sessions, and team-building activities to solidify on-field chemistry and finalize the squad's tactical identity. The previous preparatory camp in Muscat which was held during end of June and early of July featured two friendly matches against local teams. The first match ended in a goalless draw between Olympic team and Royal Army of Oman while Oman Olympic team registered a 2-1 victory over Royal Guard of Oman. The camp also witnessed series of training sessions as the coaching staff headed by coach Badar al Maimani and his assistant Sultan al Touqi focused on the technical and tactical sides beside putting their touches on the starting list who will represent the team in coming Asian qualifiers assignment. Oman U-23 football team Squad: Jawad al Azi, Osama al Mahrouqi, Nasser al Saqri, Sameer al Hatmi, Said al Ghanbousi, Mohammed Abdulhakim, Abdulaziz al Shaqsi, Loqman al Jadidi, Abdullah al Jabri, Rashad al Dhaeen, Essa al Buraidi, Osama Majdi, Ziyad al Rasbi, Mohammed al Oraibi, Nayef Faraj, Sultan al Marzooq, Turki Abdullah, Ahed al Mashakheyi, Abdulaleem al Rawahi, Ali al Balushi, Abdulhadi al Manwari, Ibrahim al Kindi, Masoud al Bahri, Hamed al Naimi and Yassar al Balushi.
Arab Times
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Arab Times
Al-Sharifi replaces injured Falah in Kuwait U-23 squad
KUWAIT CITY, July 3: Kuwait Olympic team coach, Croatian Dario Pesic, has called up Al-Qadsiya player Mohammed Al-Sharifi to replace Mohsen Falah, who sustained an injury during recent training sessions. The team continued its daily preparations at the auxiliary field of Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium, in anticipation of the AFC U-23 Championship qualifiers, scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia in January 2026. The team is set to hold its final training session in Kuwait next Sunday before departing for a training camp in Cairo the following day. The camp will feature three friendly matches, including two confirmed fixtures against Egypt on July 17 and 20. Discussions are ongoing to finalize a third match. Kuwait has been drawn into Group B for the AFC U-23 qualifiers alongside Japan, Afghanistan, and Myanmar, with Myanmar designated as the host nation for the group matches from September 1 to 9. According to the tournament format, the top team from each of the ten qualifying groups, along with the five best second-placed teams, will advance to the finals. They will join host nation Saudi Arabia to complete a 16-team lineup, which will be split into four groups for the final tournament. Following the Cairo camp, the Blues will continue their training to maintain momentum and fine-tune their readiness. The team is scheduled to arrive in Myanmar one week before the qualifiers begin, to acclimate to the local weather conditions. Team manager Al-Ateeqi expressed confidence in the squad, emphasizing the players' understanding of the responsibility they carry. "Our ambition is clear — to qualify for the final tournament. I believe in the capabilities of our players and trust they will rise to the occasion," he said. Meanwhile, Kuwait's youth and junior national teams have also begun early preparations, launching training sessions at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium's auxiliary field earlier this week. The Kuwait Football Association's Technical Committee stressed the importance of starting training early to ensure full readiness ahead of upcoming Gulf, Arab, regional, and continental competitions.
The Print
19-06-2025
- Sport
- The Print
India gear up for Tajikistan test ahead of U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers
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 match will be played at the Hisor Central Stadium near Dushanbe, with the second fixture against Kyrgyz Republic scheduled for Saturday. New Delhi, Jun 17 (PTI) 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 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. PTI TAP APA APA This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
