India’s newly appointed U-23 football coach, Naushad Moosa, is looking to imprint upon the next generation of Blue Tigers his attacking philosophy ahead of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qualifiers to be held in Qatar from September 1 to 9.

India is in Group H alongside Qatar, Bahrain, and Brunei Darussalam with a total of 44 teams divided into 11 groups of four each. The group winners and the four best runners-up, alongside hosts Saudi Arabia, will complete the cast of 16 teams at the seventh AFC U23 Asian Cup to be held in January 2026.

“I believe in possession and attacking football, while, in terms of defending, it depends on the opponents if we should press high or defend in a mid-block,” Kharghar-based Moosa told mid-day ahead of the two-week training camp that begins on June 1 in Kolkata.