India's U23 Team Drawn in AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers Group H

AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers Group H Draw

New Delhi, May 29: India has been placed in Group H for the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers following the draw held at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Joining India in Group H are Qatar, Bahrain, and Brunei Darussalam. Qatar, being the top-seeded team, will host the matches scheduled from September 1 to 9.

A total of 44 teams have been organized into 11 groups of four. The winners of each group, along with the four best runners-up and the host nation Saudi Arabia, will qualify for the 16-team tournament set for January 2026.

The draw's seedings were determined by a points system based on the teams' rankings from the last three tournaments. India was placed in Pot 3.

Naushad Moosa has been appointed as the head coach for India's U23 national team, taking over on June 1. The team will gather in Kolkata for a training camp before heading to Tajikistan for friendly matches against Tajikistan on June 18 and Kyrgyz Republic on June 21.

The India U23 squad plans to utilize all 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 Draw Results:

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