India U23 vs Tajikistan U23: Persistent attack, defensive woes, and other talking points

India U23 put up a spirited performance against Tajikistan U23.

India U23 national team sustained a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to Tajikistan U23 in their international friendly clash at the Hisor Stadium on Wednesday (18 June, 2025). Despite taking the lead twice in the game through Suhail Bhat and Parthib Gogoi, they were undone by three second-half goals that allowed the hosts to get a win over the 10-man India.

The Blue Colts produced a pretty valiant effort for the majority of the game, even holding their own with a man down after Ayush Chhetri was sent off in the second half.

Despite that, some sloppy defending and inability to keep out crosses caused Naushad Moosa’s to suffer a gutting late loss. Here are some things to learn from India U23’s loss to Tajikistan U-23.

5. Macarton Louis Nickson proves himself as blueprint of efficient Indian midfielder

There were quite a few positive points for India U23 in the loss to Tajkistan, and one of those was the performance of Macarton Louis Nickson. The North East United midfielder was able to start as the most advanced midfielder and operated as a hard-working, undeterred individual in the midfield. The 21-year-old midfielder was a vibrant figure in the central areas, hounding the opposition players with his relentless pressing and not being scared of clattering them with aggressive challenges.

He was efficient with his passing and produced a beautiful cross to set up the opening goal for Suhail. The NorthEast United midfielder was a real livewire in the midfield, who helped to regain possession, win duels and also create chances to prove how an ideal Indian midfielder should operate at the international level.

4. Abhishek Singh’s vulnerabilities laid bare

Abhishek Singh being on the starting lineup for India U23 was hardly surprising considering how well he played for India in their recent clashes. The Punjab FC was an energetic figure for the majority of the game, covering a lot of ground and winning quite a few duels on his side. However, Abhishek’s vulnerable areas were also on display in this loss.

He might be an aggressive tackler and have a never-say-die attitude, but his game-reading skills still need improvement. Abhishek was caught in a bad position for Tajikistan’s equaliser, failing to mark Ansor Khabibov at the back-post. He looked vulnerable when having to defend crosses or make necessary clearances, as he needs to improve his game-reading and anticipation skills to be a more proactive defender for the Blue Colts or Blue Tigers.

3. Ayush Chhetri defensive midfield experiment cannot be persisted

Ayush Chhetri was arguably one of India’s more underwhelming performers in their June fixtures, but his experience levels earned him a start against Tajikistan U23. He was played in a midfield pivot with Lalrinliana Hnamte, with Naushad Moosa opting to play him in a deeper role to anchor above the defensive line. This didn’t really prove to be a wise decision. Chhetri was not really able to push his weight around in midfield, as he struggled to nail his duels and made silly fouls.

He was often caught out of position and forced to resort to silly challenges, for which he was shown two yellow cards and sent off. Chhetri might have the technical qualities to move the ball forward and make some nice tackles, but he lacks the composure or intelligence of a defensive midfielder who can protect the backline. Playing him in that for future games doesn’t make much sense unless he can enhance some defensive aspects in his game.

2. India U23 forwards teach valuable conversion lesson to senior stars

India U23 weren’t really able to create a host of clear-cut chances against Tajikistan U23, but fortunately, their forwards were clinical enough to take them up perfectly. Suhail Bhat was a menacing threat for the Tajikistan U23 backline with his clever movement, insistent pressing and ability to beat his marker. He smartly slipped past the centre-backs to score an impressive poacher’s goal from inside the box, something that some of the senior Indian forwards have failed to do in recent months.

Parthib Gogoi was clinical and sharp in his substitute cameo, as he broke past the defensive line and scored a stellar goal to give his side an advantage. At a time when the senior Indian forwards often fail to convert chances and lack that midas touch inside the box, youngsters like Suhail and Gogoi are setting an example of exactly how to convert opportunities ruthlessly at the international stage.

1. Set-piece defending woes a major area of improvement for India U23 team under Naushad Moosa

India U23 appeared to be on course for a big win over Tajikistan U23, and had the 10-men lads been able to get it done, it would’ve been a major confidence booster for Naushad Moosa’s boys. However, ultimately, it was a case of sloppiness in defending against crosses that led to their downfall. All three goals that the hosts scored came from crosses, with two of them being set-pieces. All three came from the left-wing, with the defenders just not being able to anticipate the position or length of the crosses to make clearances.

Moreover, goalkeeper Priyansh Dubey was unable to command over his line and failed to come up to collect or punch away the crosses. He was particularly poor for the last goal, miscalculating his punch attempt to give a goal to the hosts.

Moosa has to fix this glaring set-piece issue within the India U23, knowing how opposition teams will keep targeting it in future matches. Unless the Indian boys are more confident and sturdy in defending against high crosses or set-pieces, they’ll continue being harassed like this and it’ll lead to more cheap goals being conceded.

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