The India U-23 NT were beaten by Thailand U-23 by four goals to zero, resulting in Naushad Moosa’s biggest loss as head coach of the Indian U-23. The result does not tell the full picture since Naushad Moosa had a drastically different squad with a lot of new talents, as several players from prior camps were promoted to the first team. This is what the head coach had to say after the unfortunate defeat to the home team.
Naushad Moosa on the performance:
The Indian U-23 squad appeared to be a group of boys who had never played together and had little control over the game from the very start to the last whistle. All four goals were a consequence of individual errors, yet the attackers should have done better as well. While calling for progress, Naushad Moosa emphasised that the guys are still going through a learning curve.
“There is no individual or a player who likes to lose or give away goals. I’m happy with the way they tried. We played against a strong opponent, very strong and who was very physical. I’ve come with a young squad, it’s a learning moment for them.”
“With this squad I had just five days camp and I have come here for these two friendlies so now It was very important for me to understand the players who all I played today and what Individual players can give me. I like the way they fought the second half. It was it was very important for me to understand the mentality of the players.”
Naushad Moosa on inexperienced players:
The team lacked numerous significant players who had recently contributed to the team’s success. Mohun Bagan did not release any players; Muhammad Suhail was injured during Shers’ 2025/26 Super Cup, and six players were promoted to the senior team.
Six U-23 players made their debuts, including Goa’s Ronney and Chennaiyin’s Raj Basfore. It was always going to be difficult for the younger players to step up and take these players’ place. Moosa believes that the players will improve with additional time.
“If you see the team what I am with, there are ten players who have just come from the junior level, who were not there till the Indonesia game. There are seven players who are in the senior team who will be playing Bangladesh. These are young boys, they need more time, and I will work with them accordingly.”
“Right now, what I’m trying to do is build a pool of players who will represent the country. I’m building up a team, so I need to have that patience. I need to trust my players”
Naushad Moosa on Sumit Sharma:
Sumit Sharma recently progressed from the India U-20 to the Indian U-23 squad when Pramveer was promoted to the senior team. He had a decent game against Indonesia in the last camp, but today’s performance was a forgettable one for the Kerala Blasters defender. He committed two important penalties and was weak in the defensive partnership with Ronney Wilson. Despite the terrible performance, Moosa believes Sumit Sharma would improve as he plays more games.
“We gave away two silly penalties. A young boy who’s come from U-19, so these are all the games where he should learn, and he should know how to control his emotions. No complain about it, he just came from the U-19 team”
Read More: Who is Brahmacharimayum Sumit Sharma? Know more about the latest Blasters’ recruit… – Footy India
Follow Footy India on Instagram and X for more updates on Indian Football.
Footy India 