New Delhi, June 16 -- The head coach of the India U23 men's team, Naushad Moosa, on Monday announced a 23-member squad for the friendly matches against Tajikistan and Kyrgyz Republic, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) said in a statement.

According to the AIFF statement, the Blue Colts have been training at the AIFF National Centre of Excellence in Kolkata since June 1 and departed for Tajikistan on Monday afternoon. As part of their preparations for the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers in September, India will face Tajikistan on June 18 before squaring off against the Kyrgyz Republic on June 21. Both matches, kicking off at 20:30 IST, will take place at the Hisor Central Stadium in Hisor, about 25 kilometres from Tajikistan's ca...