The national team of India Under-23 men lost 1-3 against Iraq on Thursday in his second friendly match with closed doors in the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium, Malaysia.
The Blue Colts made an impression in the first half and took a deserved 1-0 lead during the break. Iraq, however, came back stronger after the restart and walked out three times to take advantage of the game.
Iraq won the first friendly 2-1.
The India U-23 team will now prepare for the AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifications in Doha, where it will be on Bahrain on 3 September, host Qatar on 6 September and Brunei Darussalam on September 9.
The side still has to be eligible for the continental tournament and will have to end as the table topper to earn a direct berth for the tournament. If India does not exceed the group, it will hope to complete the qualifying campaign as one of the four best second teams to make the competition.
Published on August 28, 2025
