India U23 vs Qatar U23: Three players who impressed in the AFC U23 Asia Cup Qualifiers

10-man India U23 succumbed to a 2-1 loss against Qatar U23

The India U23 Football team had to scramble to a hard-fought 2-1 loss against the Qatar U23 Football Team in the highly anticipated second round fixtures of Group H in the AFC U-23 Asia Cup Qualifiers on the 8th of September 2025 at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha.

Qatar U23 Football team, with their physical and tactical dominance, broke the deadlock and opened the accounts with the services of Alhashmi Mohialdin, who clinically headed in a set piece in the 17th minute.

Since then, the Blue Colts became resolute and hungry to find the equaliser, which they found with the header goal of Suhail, who headed in the goal in the second post following a pinpoint cross from Sanan. However, just a couple of minutes later, India had to concede a penalty, which ultimately turned out to be the difference between the two sides.

Even though the Qatari side ultimately managed to grab the win and clinch the three points, the match was a true display of grit from the India U23 side. Qatar, with the advantage of being the home team, was forced to put in extra efforts to edge past the determined Blue Colts.

From Ricky to Harsh, Sahil to Bikash, and from Sanan to Suhail, the Indian side displayed a commendable performance against the Asian giants. However, some players stepped up to the occasion and stood head and shoulders above the others.

Here’s a look at the top three players for the India U23 vs Qatar U23 match.

3. Mohammed Sanan

Mohammed Sanan was a constant menace on the wing for the opponents, displaying an excellent work rate and attacking desire from the outset. He picked up the second ball in midfield on several occasions and applied his pace to threaten in accelerated runs and switches, providing some reverse balls and effectively contributing to most of India’s early attacks directly or indirectly.

Sanan’s relentless efforts were eventually capped in the second half when he outran and beat the Qatari right-back with a spurt of pace and laid on a perfectly weighted cross to Muhammed Suhail, who was lurking in the second post, to head in the all-critical equalizer of the match. Despite being the constant target of the opponents and being marked by multiple players, Sanan outperformed all of them, proving why he is one of the best wingers in the under-23 setup.

2. Ricky Meetei

Throughout the game, Ricky was a rock of reliability at right-back, arguably being the best performer for the India U23 side on the evening. He was defensively alert, making crucial tackles and interceptions, and recovering the ball to regain possession for his team. Even though he had to play with a somewhat limited supply of support, he showed great discipline and composure in the backline.

Ricky was also strong in playing on the offense, as he did well moving forward with the ball and making speedy, accurate passes to the midfield, serving as a good outlet for his side. When Pramveer was sent off in the second half, Ricky marshalled the backline and created an impenetrable fortress which Qatar struggled to break. The full-back’s complete effort defensively and offensively demonstrated why he should be a regular starter under Naushad Moosa.

1. Muhammed Suhail

Muhammed Suhail took some time to get into his stride against the Qatari defense, and his first attempt on goal, in the third minute, was skied over the bar. He was mostly off and not synced in the first half, and was not able to make any significant offensive contribution to create trouble for the Qatari backline and pile pressure upon them.

But a new Suhail appeared in the second half; on 52 minutes, he emerged to equalize with a clinical header finish, jumping high to head a perfect cross from Sanan from the left flank. From then on, he was a thorn in the flesh and a potent threat to the opponents. Despite competing against the physically stronger Qatar defenders, he managed to cause them consistent problems, forcing them to put in extra work.

India U23 to face Brunei U23 in the next match

The Indian U-23 Football team’s next challenge will be on the 6th of September, where they will lock horns against the Brunei U-23 Football team, who are having a struggling tournament so far, with a 13-0 loss against Qatar U-23 and a 10-0 loss against Bahrain U-23.

Even though the Blue Colts are the favourites to win the match, Naushad Moosa and his side have to take up this match with utmost seriousness to get the win and keep their AFC U-23 Asia Cup qualification hopes alive.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.