Eleven Indian Arrows picked for India U-23 friendly against Qatar in March

Former FC Goa assistant coach Derrick Pereira’s appointment as new head coach of the Indian U-23 football team was a clear statement of intent from the AIFF. It was indicative that the national body was determined to secure qualification for the upcoming U-23 AFC Asian Cup. On Friday, it was confirmed that Pereira’s first match in charge of the national team will be a friendly match against Qatar at Doha’s Aspire Academy on March 11.

Now, sources have confirmed that a total of 11 players from AIFF’s developmental side - Indian Arrows - have been called up to the U-23 squad to face Qatar. 

“They are our future. It’s not only about the match against Qatar or the U-23 Championship qualifiers. We should have a long term plan for them so that they can excel in future,” Pereira said.

“The experience of representing the nation in the U-17 FIFA World Cup would help them improve on and off the pitch. If they are provided with the right kind of experience and exposure regularly, Indian football will go a long way,” he added.

The young I-League side have notched up some bright results on the domestic circuit which includes a win against Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan and Pereira is aiming to build his U-23 team around them.

“We are primarily focusing on finding the right combination and our style of game. Uzbekistan are the reigning U-23 Asian champions and Tajikistan are a respectable side as well who we’re going to face in the qualifiers. We can gauge ourselves after the Qatar game and as I’ve said, we’ll focus more on our game rather than our opponents,” Pereira added.