The India Under-23 men’s national team lost 1-3 against Iraq in its second closed-doors friendly match at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium, Malaysia, on Thursday.
The Blue Colts impressed in the first half, taking a deserved 1-0 lead into the break. However, Iraq came back stronger after the restart, netting three times to turn the match in its favour.
Iraq won the first friendly 2-1.
The India U-23 team will now gear up for the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qualifiers in Doha, where it faces Bahrain on September 3, host Qatar on September 6, and Brunei Darussalam on September 9.
The side is yet to qualify for the continental tournament and will need to finish as the table-topper to earn a direct berth for the tournament. If India fails to top its group, then it will hope to finish the qualification campaign as one of the four best second-placed teams to make the competition.
Published on Aug 28, 2025
Content Source: sportstar.thehindu.com