New Delhi, India Head coach Naushad Moosa of the India U-23 men’s national team has named a potential roster of 29 players for the exposure friendly matches in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, next month.

Naushad Moosa was named head coach of the India U-23 men’s national team by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Tuesday.

According to the plans presented to the federation by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Moosa will lead the squad when they start their camp in Kolkata on June 1. The long-term goal is to get the Indian team ready for the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan.

According to the AIFF official website, the federation’s long-term intentions to facilitate a road to the senior national squad include the India U-23s playing two matches against the Tajikistan U-23 and Kyrgyz Republic U-23 teams on June 18 and June 21, respectively.

Before departing for Dushanbe on June 16, the squad will camp in Kolkata on June 1 and practice there.

In order to prepare for the 2026 Asian Games in Japan and the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers later this year, the AIFF has scheduled camps and exposure friendly matches for the Blue Colts during the FIFA International Window as part of the long-term objectives for the India U-23s.

Friendly exposure games for the U23 squad in June:

India vs. Tajikistan, June 18.

India vs. Kyrgyz Republic, June 21.

List of probable players for the Indian U-23 Men’s National Team

Goalies: Md. Arbaz, Sahil, and Priyansh Dubey.

Advocates: Pramveer, Clarence Fernandes, Sajad Hussain Parray, Muhammad Saheef, Suman Dey, Nikhil Barla, Dippendu Biswas, Bikash Yumnam, and Subham Bhattacharya.

Lalremtluanga Fanai, Vinith Venkatesh, Harsh Patre, Rahul Raju, Lalrinliana Hnamte, Macarton Louis Nickson, Manglenthang Kipgen, Mohammed Aimen, Huidrom Thoi Singh, and Vibin Mohanan are midfielders.

The forwards are Alan Shaji, Joseph Sunny, Mohammed Sanan K, Korou Singh Thingujam, Md Suhail, and Parthib Sundar Gogoi.

Naushad Moosa is the head coach.

Remus Damiao Gomes is the assistant coach.

Coach for goalkeeping: Dipankar Choudhary.

Diwakar Manohar is the strength and conditioning coach.