U-23 Tri-Nation International Friendly Tournament 2026: Who were the top three players for India U-23 against Bhutan U-23?

India beat Bhutan U-23 team 5-0

The India U-23 football team started their U-23 Tri-Nation Championship 2026 with style, beating Bhutan 5-0 at the Golden Jubilee Stadium in Yupia, Arunachal Pradesh. Naushad Moosa’s side fought well in the first half and completely took over the opposition in the second forty-five minutes.

Ricky Meetei scored the first goal in the 43rd minute to give his side the lead. A double from Suhail Bhat and goals from substitutes Tomba Singh and Muhammad Ajsal sealed the game, giving the Blue Colts a big win to give them the confidence they needed.

The 5-0 win over Bhutan has taken the Indian U-23 football team to the top spot in the three-team standings. Tajikistan’s U-23 team is currently second as they beat Bhutan 1-0 in the tournament opener.

India and Tajikistan will face each other on Tuesday in Yupia. The Blue Tigers will win the championship with even a draw whereas Tajikistan U-23 side will need to beat India to take home the title.

Here are the three players that stood out for the India U-23 football team on Saturday:

Suhail Bhat (Forward)

The Mohun Bagan SG forward was one of the more experienced players in the Indian U-23 squad. Suhail showed his worth by putting up an impressive performance that took the game away completely from Bhutan.

Suhail Bhat scored two goals in the second half and also provided an assist to secure a massive win for his side. Aside from his direct contributions, the forward also linked up well with the wingers and the midfielders, creating multiple chances for his team.

With the senior team struggling for goals, Suhail might have come to form right on time, as Khalid Jamil would surely be keeping tabs on the player to call him up to the senior team if he manages to keep up his form.

Ricky Meetei Haobam (Rightback)

Ricky Meetei is no stranger to the Bengaluru FC fans as he has already shown glimpses of his prowess with the club since making his ISL debut this season.

The rightback put in a dominant display against Bhutan, taking part in India’s attack aside from his defensive duties.

The 19-year-old linked up well on the right-hand side and also with the midfielders. Ricky opened the scoring for the Indian U-23 football team in the 44th minute with a valorous strike to get the crowd off their seats in Yupia.

Tomba Singh (Midfielder)

The third spot was a toss-up between Inter Kashi’s Tomba Singh and Kerala Blasters’ Muhammad Ajsal. Both players came on as substitutes in the second half and scored a goal each to get their side comfortably over the line.

However, Tomba’s performance might have just been a bit better for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the midfielder was brilliant on the ball with his close control. Aside from that, he also made a few critical passes to help his side.

Secondly and most importantly, Tomba’s goal came at a crucial stage. The midfielder struck from outside the box, and his shot nestled into the bottom corner in the 79th minute to give India a 3-0 lead and effectively kill the game.

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