India U23 second in Group H; qualifying chances take hit after defeat against Qatar in AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers

India’s chances of qualifying for the AFC U23 Asian Cup are in jeopardy following the loss against Qatar.

The Indian U23 team suffered a narrow defeat against Qatar on Saturday. The Blue Colts lost the match 2-1, which also involved controversial refereeing decisions. India fought valiantly after being down to ten men following a red card to Pramveer in the 66th minute.

However, the effort was not enough to scrape any points from the game. This result has made the road to the AFC U23 Asian Cup difficult for India. They will play Brunei next on September 10. The Naushad Moosa-led team will have to win that match by a huge margin to give a boost to their chances.

FT | 🇮🇳 India 1️⃣-2️⃣ Qatar 🇶🇦Qatar persevere in this tightly-contested affair to keep their undefeated streak in the #AFCU23 Qualifiers in Group H! pic.twitter.com/dDSg0Qbtst

— #WAC2026 (@afcasiancup) September 6, 2025

Also Read: India U23 fall short against Qatar in Group H clash of AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers

India keep their second place intact in Group H table

The Indian team started strongly in the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers with a win against Bahrain. But their campaign has hit a roadblock following a defeat against Qatar. The Blue Colts are still in second place in their group, but with lesser chances of qualifying for the AFC U23 Asian Cup.

The Indian U23 team absolutely hammered Bahrain, a tricky West Asian side, to announce their arrival in the qualifiers. There was no match between the two sides in terms of quality and execution on the pitch. The Blue Colts looked superior throughout the match and did not face any substantial threat.

India looked impressive against Qatar as well. The hosts would consider themselves lucky to collect all three points from a game that had something for both teams. The Indian team matched the opposition in terms of control on the pitch but fell behind in key moments.

Complex qualifying landscape

The group toppers will directly confirm their place in the AFC U23 Asian Cup. But the spot in the main tournament is not just for the group toppers. Teams finishing second will also have an opportunity to feature on the continental stage.

The top four teams among the second-placed teams will seal their place in the AFC U23 Asian Cup. Currently, India are in tenth position among the eleven second-placed teams.

For India to qualify, they will have to hammer Brunei by a huge margin and hope teams like China, Iran, Turkmenistan, and Yemen do not achieve the desired results in their last qualifying fixtures.

Can India still qualify as table toppers in Group H?

The Blue Colts are not yet out of contention to top the group. There is an outside chance that can lead to India finishing the group as table toppers. The tie-breaker rule of the competition says that if all the teams in the group are at the same number of points, then the head-to-head record among those teams will be considered. If the head-to-head record is also the same, the goal difference in those head-to-head matches will be considered.

If Bahrain somehow win against Qatar, then all the teams will have the same number of points. They will be at par in terms of head-to-head record as well. Then a mini table of these three teams will be made to ascertain the winner of the group on goal difference in head-to-head matches.

Currently, India have a positive goal difference of 1 in the head-to-head results. For India to qualify on goal difference in head-to-head, Bahrain will have to win by a goal margin. If that happens then Bahrain will have a negative goal difference of 1, and Qatar will have a goal difference of 0. In that case, India, with a positive goal difference of 1, will qualify as the table toppers.

If Bahrain win with a bigger margin than one goal, then they will qualify as the table toppers and India will finish second. Whereas, if Qatar win, they will qualify as table toppers and India would finish second above Bahrain on head-to-head record as India defeated Bahrain in the first match.

Blue Colts to face Brunei next

The Indian boys will come up against Brunei in the last qualifying fixture on September 8. Naushad Moosa would want the same intensity to continue from his young guns against Brunei, as they require a huge victory to qualify for the AFC U23 Asian Cup.

Brunei have conceded 23 goals in the first two matches. India would be aiming to produce similar goal-scoring returns. The Indian forwards have to exploit the vulnerable Brunei defense at any cost.

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