New Delhi, Aug. 28 -- Following a narrow 1-2 defeat in their first friendly, the India U23 men's national team will take on Iraq in their second closed-doors friendly match on Thursday at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, at 13:30 IST.

This match marks the final preparatory fixture before the squad heads to Doha for the AFC U23 Asian Cup Qualifiers next week, as per a press release from AIFF.

Reflecting on the first friendly, head coach Naushad Moosa said that it was an important learning curve. "It was a very competitive game and a valuable experience for us," he said. "Games like these help the boys understand the demands of international football and give us confidence that we can compete."

Building on the...