“Don’t jump into ISL….”, Naushad Moosa shares valuable advices with young Footballers 

Kolkata : Naushad Moosa, head coach of India U23, has named 29 members probable squad for 2 international friendlies against Tajikistan and Kyrgyz Republic in Dushanbe later this month. However, his concern remains to one point – majority among them have ISL commitments and play less time in field on field, as majority of the youths hardly get chances and warm benches.

The head coach’s contract has been extended to one year to groom the Indian U23 team for preparing in next year’s Asian Games, AFC U23 Asia Cup qualifiers.

Moosa also voiced concern that very few players in the squad have regular ISL experience. Only one player, Vibin Mohanan, has made a senior national team appearance, while a few others — including Ayush Chhetri, Abhishek Singh, and Suhail Bhat — are training under national coach Manolo Marquez.

Speaking to reporters, Moosa, a former India international and SAFF Championship winner, highlighted that many of the country’s promising youngsters are wasting crucial development years warming benches in ISL clubs. “At this age, they need to play. Signing for financially strong clubs and sitting out matches doesn’t help their growth,” he said.

Advising youths, Moosa said that although young U19 Players want to play for ISL clubs, they shouldn’t jump into the big league straight away. One of the main reason is not many get ample game time, hampering their exposure. Hence, they should sign at a club where they’ll get to play and don’t warm benches unlike ISL.

“The younger U-19 players want to play for ISL clubs. My advice is don’t jump (straightway) into the ISL. Of course, you should try, but only a few make it. The youngsters can sign for clubs where they get to play.” 

Moosa has emphasised the need for longer training camps and more exposure games. “Even if we cannot play abroad, we should host stronger opponents here. Losing is not a problem, it’s about preparing for the real challenges. Our aim must go beyond winning SAFF — we must target the Asian level,” he added.

As part of AIFF’s vision to streamline the transition from junior to senior national teams, these friendlies are seen as crucial stepping stones for India’s next generation of footballers.