Latest news with #NaushadMoosa
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers: India placed in Group H alongside Qatar, Bahrain and Brunei Darussalam
The India Under-23 men's national football team has been clubbed alongside Qatar, Bahrain, and Brunei Darussalam in Group H of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers, in the draw ceremony held at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday (May 27, 2025). Qatar, which is the highest seeded team among the four in the group, will be hosting the Group H league with the matches scheduled to be played between September 1 to 9, 2025. A total of 44 teams have been divided into 11 groups of four each. The group winners and the four best runners-up, alongside the host of the final stage Saudi Arabia, will compete for the title in the seventh edition of the AFC U23 Asian Cup, which will be held in January 2026. The Indian team will start its preparations under the charge of former India international Naushad Moosa, who has previously been named the head coach. The Blue Colts will assemble in Kolkata for a training camp on June 1 before flying off to Tajikistan to play two friendly matches against Tajikistan (on June 18) and Kyrgyz Republic (June 21). Similarly, the Indian team will utilise all the upcoming FIFA International windows to set up camps and play exposure friendlies to prepare for the qualifiers.
India Gazette
5 days ago
- Sport
- India Gazette
India to play Qatar, Bahrain, Brunei Darussalam in AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers
New Delhi [India], May 29 (ANI): The India U23 men's national team has been drawn in Group H of the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers, after a draw ceremony was conducted at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Alongside India Qatar, Bahrain, and Brunei Darussalam are in Group H. Qatar, the highest-seeded team among the four, will host Group H, with the matches slated to be played between September 1 to 9, as per the AIFF official website. 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 as 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 the 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), Iran, Hong Kong China, Guam Group J: Korea Republic, Indonesia (H), Laos, Macau Group K: Tajikistan, Syria, Philippines, Nepal. (ANI)
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Who are India facing in AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qualifiers?
India's Under-23 men's team was drawn into Group H of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qualifiers alongside Qatar, Bahrain, and Brunei. Qatar, the highest-seeded team, will host the matches from September 1-9, 2025. Out of 44 teams divided into 11 groups, group winners and the top four runners-up will join host Saudi Arabia in the January 2026 tournament. India, placed in Pot 3, appointed Naushad Moosa as head coach starting June 1. The team will train in Kolkata and play friendlies in Tajikistan to prepare for the qualifiers, using all FIFA windows for camps and exposure matches. AFC U-23 ASIAN CUP 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
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Business Standard
5 days ago
- Sport
- Business Standard
AFC U23 Qualifiers: India drawn with Qatar, Bahrain, Brunei Darussalam
The India U-23 men's national team was on Thursday drawn in Group H of the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers and will play against hosts Qatar, Bahrain, and Brunei Darussalam. The draw was conducted at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur. 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 as the head coach of their U-23 national team. Moosa takes charge from June 1, when the Blue Colts assemble in Kolkata for a training camp, before flying off to Tajikistan to play two exposure matches against Tajikistan (June 18) and Kyrgyz Republic (June 21). The India U-23s will utilise all the FIFA international windows to set camp and play exposure friendlies to prepare for the AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) said. AFC U-23 Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers draw: Group A: Jordan (Hosts), 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.
Daily Tribune
5 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Tribune
Bahrain Face Tough Group in AFC U23 Qualifiers
TDT | Manama Bahrain's U23 team must navigate a tricky Group H featuring hosts Qatar, India, and Brunei Darussalam in the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 qualifiers, scheduled from September 1–11 in Doha. The official draw, held Thursday at AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, placed Bahrain in one of the competition's more balanced groups. Qatar, the highest-seeded team in the group, will enjoy home advantage. India, steadily building their youth ranks under new coach Naushad Moosa, present a growing threat, while Brunei enter as clear underdogs. With 44 teams split across 11 groups of four, the path to qualification is narrow: only group winners and the four best runners-up will secure spots at the 16-team finals in Saudi Arabia. Bahrain, who bring solid regional pedigree, know that every point will count. One Group, One Goal Qatar start as favourites, given their infrastructure and youth talent. But Bahrain, experienced and competitive at U23 level, are well capable of challenging. India's technical growth adds another layer to the group, and Brunei could be dangerous if overlooked. The format is a single round-robin, with Bahrain's fixtures against India and Qatar likely to define their campaign. Why It Matters The AFC U23 Asian Cup is a youth tournament as well as it's a platform for Olympic qualification. The top three teams from the 2026 finals in Saudi Arabia are expected to qualify for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. For Bahrain, the stakes are long-term: competing now means building toward higher accolades in the future. AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers: All Groups Group A: Jordan, Turkmenistan, Chinese Taipei, Bhutan Group B: Japan, Kuwait, Myanmar, Afghanistan Group C: Vietnam, Yemen, Singapore, Bangladesh Group D: Australia, China PR, Timor-Leste, Northern Mariana Islands Group E: Uzbekistan, Palestine, Kyrgyz Republic, Sri Lanka Group F: Thailand, Malaysia, Lebanon, Mongolia Group G: Iraq, Cambodia, Oman, Pakistan Group H: Qatar, Bahrain, India, Brunei Darussalam Group I: UAE, IR Iran, Hong Kong China, Guam
