India U23 vs Kyrgyz Republic U23 lineups, team news, prediction & preview

India U23 football team succumbed to a narrow 3-2 loss to the Tajikistan U23 team.

India U23 football team will be looking to bounce back to winning ways when they host a motivated Kyrgyz Republic U23 in their next match as part of the Tajikistan tour. After having suffered a gutting loss to Tajikistan U23 in their previous game, Naushad Moosa will be eager for his players to undo their wrongs and produce an energetic performance to get back to India with an emphatic win.

The Stakes

India U23

For India U23, this will be their final match before the 2026 AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifiers that take place in September. That is why the onus is on the Blue Colts to get a big win to amplify their confidence and self-belief levels before those challenging matches. Naushad Moosa will be eager to pick up his players and get them to produce an efficient performance in the next game to put the memories of the Tajikistan U23 loss behind them.

He will need to nail on his team selection and the shape of his side, as the Blue Colts need to be sturdier when defending against crosses to sustain themselves. He’ll also urge them to play proactive attacking football and be sharp with their pressing to get a big win, which will be a major momentum booster for the players. Another loss, however, can derail the team’s morale before the qualifiers.

Kyrgyz Republic U23

Even the Kyrgyz Republic U23 team are preparing for their 2026 U23 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers and will be aiming to gain some momentum ahead of those big games. They are a relatively new bunch of players in the U23 side and will be guided by ex-Ukraine footballer Edmar Lacerda. He will be taking charge of the team for the foreseeable future and will be aiming to raise their sharpness and performance levels for this upcoming clash.

He will be urging his young players to produce a spirited effort by working hard and covering a lot of ground. He’ll urge them to be proactive in winning the ball back in key areas and torment the Indian players on the counter-attacks and set-pieces. A win over India can raise the Kyrgyz Republic players’ self-belief levels, but a crushing loss can be a setback to their plans.

Team News

India U23 will be missing midfielder Ayush Chhetri for this game, as he was sent off in the loss to Tajikistan U23. Apart from that, Naushad Moosa will have everyone available.

Head-to-Head Record

Matches Played – 1

India U23 wins – 1

Kyrgyz Republic U23 wins – 0

Draws – 0

Predicted Lineup

India U23 (4-2-3-1):

Priyansh Dubey (GK), Dippendu Biswas, Dippendu Biswas, Bikash Yunam, Pramveer, Abhishek Singh, Vibin Mohanan, Lalrinliana Hnamte, Macarton Nickson, Korou Singh, Mohammed Aimen, Suhail Bhat

Players to Watch

Macarton Louis Nickson (India U23)

Macarton Nickson was arguably one of India’s brighter performers in the loss against Tajikistan U23, producing an efficient display in the midfield. He proved himself as a complete package by covering a lot of ground on both halves, pressing the opposition players sharply and regaining the ball in key positions. He will be looking to produce an equally proactive display in the next game, and torment the Kyrgyz Republic U23 players with his aggressive style.

He’ll aim to get the ball regained in the danger areas and then drive his side forward with his clever passes and also set up big chances as he did for Suhail Bhat’s goal in the previous game. If able to nail his final product accurately, Nickson could be a major threat for the Kyrgyz Republic U23 players.

Erbol Abduzhaparov (Kyrgyz Republic U23)

Erbol Abduzhaparov is likely to play a key role for the Kyrgyz Republic U23 side in their AFC U23 Asian Cup qualification campaign and will look to raise his momentum levels against India U23. The Abdysh-Ata Kant winger had a pretty good 2024-25 campaign with his club, scoring two goals in 12 Kyrgyz Premier League matches.

The 20-year-old is a speedy left winger who has shown an ability to dart into the final third with his impressive runs that can torment defenders. He will look to cause trouble for the Indian defenders with his smart movement to sneak into the danger areas in the final third. Abduzhaparov needs to be clinical and efficient with his final product, especially with his finishing, to give his side a major edge and get them to defeat India U23.

Did you know?

• The last time India U23 won a competitive match was back in the 2022 Asian Games.
• Kyrgyz Republic U23 have never qualified for an U23 AFC Asian Cup edition.
• India U23 scored two goals in their recent loss to Tajikistan U23, marking the first time they’ve scored twice in a game since October, 2021.

Telecast

The international friendly match between India U23 and Kyrgyz Republic U23 will take place on Saturday, 21 June 2025 at the Hisor Central Stadium, Hisor in Tajikistan. The match kicks off at 8:30 PM IST.

Fans in India can catch the India U23 vs Kyrgyz Republic U23 clash live on the Varzish TV website. Additionally, the match may also be streamed live on Football TV Tajikistan‘s official YouTube channel, although confirmation is awaited.

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