Football
India U23 men's team to face Qatar, Bahrain, and Brunei in AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers
The qualifiers feature 44 teams, divided into 11 groups of four teams each.
India U23 men’s national football team (Photo credit: AIFF)
The India U23 men’s national football team has been drawn into Group H of the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers, as announced during the draw ceremony held at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Thursday, May 29, 2025.
Joining India in Group H are Qatar, Bahrain, and Brunei Darussalam. Qatar, the top-seeded team in the group, will host all the Group H matches, scheduled to be played from September 1 to 9, 2025.
The qualifiers feature 44 teams, divided into 11 groups of four teams each. The 11 group winners and the four best second-placed teams will join hosts Saudi Arabia in the final 16-team tournament — the seventh edition of the AFC U23 Asian Cup — set to be held in January 2026.
The group draw seedings were determined based on a points system calculated from the final rankings of the past three editions of the tournament. India were placed in Pot 3 ahead of the draw.
Earlier this year, Naushad Moosa was appointed as the new head coach of the India U23 team. He will officially take charge on June 1, when the team assembles for a training camp in Kolkata. Following that, the squad will travel to Tajikistan to play two international friendly matches —
June 18 vs Tajikistan,
June 21 vs Kyrgyz Republic.
The India U23 team plans to utilise all upcoming FIFA international windows for training camps and friendly matches in preparation for the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers.
AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026 Qualifiers – Group Draw:
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 PR (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
