India U-23 men’s football team to play friendlies in Jakarta

India’s U-23 men’s football team will play two friendlies against Indonesia U-23 on October 10 and 13 in Jakarta. After narrowly missing AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualification, the Blue Colts aim to build momentum under coach Naushad Moosa

Hyderabad: The Indian under-23 men’s team will travel to Jakarta to play two friendly matches against Indonesia under-23 on October 10 and 13, 2025.

Led by head coach Naushad Moosa, the Blue Colts have regrouped less than a month after narrowly missing out on a historic AFC U23 Asian Cup qualification, as they finished fifth in the rankings for the best second-placed teams (only the top four qualified) despite wins over Bahrain and Brunei Darussalam. Like India, Indonesia also failed to qualify, suffering a 0-1 defeat to Korea Republic in their last match and finishing as the 10th-best runners-up out of 11 groups.

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Both matches against Indonesia, being held during the October FIFA International Match Window, will be played at the Gelora Bung Karno Madya Stadium in Jakarta, and will kick off at 18.30 IST.

India U23s have played four friendly matches earlier this season, travelling to Tajikistan in June to face the hosts and Kyrgyz Republic, followed by two games against Iraq in Malaysia in August.