Crafting the Future: Inside Naushad Moosa’s Footballing Vision for India

Naushad Moosa has worn many hats—each with quiet determination and deep purpose, in the field of Indian football, for last three decades. Currently serving as the head coach of the India U-23 team and Technical Director at NorthEast United FC. Naushad Moosa is quietly shaping the next generation of Indian football. In this exclusive interview, he shares insights on youth development, club structure, national team transitions, and the deeper vision behind building tomorrow’s Blue Tigers. In this exclusive conversation, he opens up about his coaching philosophy, the challenges of grooming tomorrow’s Blue Tigers, the talent-rich landscapes of North East India and the systemic changes Indian football must embrace.

Full interview of Naushad Moosa

Soccermonk:

As a head coach of India U23, what qualities do you prioritize when selecting players at this crucial age group?

Naushad Moosa:

Why is it important for me now? Because it’s important that they play. And then accordingly, it’s not only that. And then I’m looking for the leagues now. Calcutta league is going on. So I’m looking for players there also, you know, wherever the leagues are happening. And then what I’m looking for, you know, we had a set of players which we travelled to Tajikistan. So now if I want to induct some new players to the camp, so what’s important is they should be in level with these players who are there. So now we have Durand Cup.

The challenge is, the biggest challenge is players releasing, the players being released by the club. Because it’s not easy because they have to play the Duran Cup. They have to play the Durand. Most of the clubs are playing the Duran Cup. So players from Mohun Bagan, FC Goa, they have their AFC Cup also. Then Jamshedpur FC, NorthEast United, most of the clubs who are playing Durand Cup.

So it’s not easy for them to release the players. So now I need to look for other players who can join me in the camp. And then later these players can join me. So now what is important is the players which I call, they should be equally good enough. You know, they should be, we are looking for players who can make it to the senior team. You know, it’s not just the 23. And we are looking for players, we have them for 2-3 years. We are just not looking for the short term goal now, like okay we just want to play the Asian Cup, we just get the players. After this we have Asian Games as well. So we are looking for players who will really make it to that level.

Soccermonk:

What are some of the biggest challenges when you are transitioning a youth player into a full international player?

Naushad Moosa:

See, earlier also I have been telling, it’s not easy for a coach who gets the players for 10-15 days to bring those transitions. So what is important is, the players need to look for clubs where they get to play. That’s when they improve. The more they play matches, that’s when they can improve. I cannot make them improve playing in 2 games. You know, it’s not easy as it looks. You know, what is important is the players who are coming, these young players, they should look for clubs where they will get the opportunity to play. The more they play games, the more they develop in their decision making, the way they perform. So that’s the most important thing.

For now, that’s the most important thing. The young players choose clubs wisely where they get to play. In the national team, I don’t have that much time to develop those players. They should come and they should be ready to perform.

Soccermonk:

You have been part of NorthEast United’s transformation. What changes have been made in the club’s youth structure and scouting system?

Naushad Moosa:

See, again, you say like under 18 and the reserve team. I am handling these 2 teams. I am managing these 2 teams. So now, if I am looking for players, what I am looking for the players, first thing is their attitude. We want them to have a good attitude, good mentality. Then comes the technical part. Then I will look into the technical part. Of course, a good player with good technical ability but no mentality, no attitude doesn’t solve the purpose. So it’s very important we look for players with a good mentality and good attitude.

We need to look for players who have that hunger to make it to the senior team. And then it’s important, I have been working with the senior team. So I know what level we are looking for. And then again, it’s not easy. It’s not that I will say in 6 months time or 1 month time, I will give 10 players to the senior team. No, it’s not possible.

So right now, what is important is we need to have a long term plan. It can be 3 years, 4 years, 5 years. So the playersI have taken for the reserve team, they can stay with me for 4 to 5 years in the reserve team and they will be playing all this development league, RFDL.

So that’s how we have chosen the players so that they can be with us for long term. And then if you see the under 8, under 10, under 12, under 14 and under 16, this just the local players we will have for now. We will just be looking after the Guwahati players. So we want to develop more football in Guwahati. So we are working towards that now. And then when it comes to the under 18 and the reserve team, we are targeting the North East region.

So now, in the North East, what we are trying to do is, trying to open up centers in all the states now, all the 8 states. So we want to say like Manipur, so say like Imphal. Imphal is a hot belt, you know. Then there are, Ukhrul is there. So say, we start an academy there and then we will have, we will appoint coaches. We will see that all the centers, they come together, we play, we get to play. Then from that we can select the players for our academy, the main academy. So for now, this is the plan. This is what we want to do.

Soccermonk:

You have seen both sides of Indian football. The pre-ISL era and the present day. How has that experience shaped your coaching philosophy?

Naushad Moosa:

See, the time when we were playing, you know. We had coaches, all ex-players. So they were working with the experience. Whatever they learnt and all the stuff. But now, football has changed. It’s moving fast forward, it’s more tactical now. So, I’ve been working with many coaches. I’ve been working with a lot of coaches like Carlos Cuadrad, Roca was there, Simon Grayson, Marco was there. Now I’m working with Juan Pedro. So, all with different mentality, different mindset, different way of doing things. So, as a coach, I also need to evolve. I need to understand the requirements, what is needed to bring those changes in Indian football.

It’s not only me, I feel all the clubs, all the coaches should start doing that. We need to have one philosophy and then we need to work towards that. At youth level. You cannot have the same philosophy at a senior level. It’s very important you need to have one philosophy for the youth. The way we train them. So, that’s the most important thing.

Soccermonk:

Among all the roles you have played like youth coaches, assistant manager, technical director, which one has taught you the most?

Naushad Moosa:

See, every department it’s always learning. As a player you learn, everyday you learn, as a coach you learn. Now today also if I feel I’m a complete coach, no it’s not. Everyday is different. Everyday a player teaches you a lot of things. When you’re working with under 10, you learn something new. When you’re training with under 8 also, when you’re working with them, they will ask some questions which you never thought of. So, we have to be updated. That is very important because the kids these days are very smart.

They come up with such questions or such suggestions and you have to accept that. So, as a coach if I keep that mentality of learning, maybe I’ll grow more. So, it’s not that I go with one mindset. No, this is what, rigid mindset, no. You change things. You have to go on with the system. You just follow. It’s not that rigid thing, no. I don’t want to be a coach where I make robots.

So, now it’s more about the players giving that opportunity for the kids to express. So, that’s the most important thing. Because in the past I’ve made the mistake of being that coach making robots. Now it’s different.

Soccermonk:

In terms of football IQ and mentality, where do Indian players still lag behind international standards? And what’s one piece of advice you give repeatedly to aspiring players?

Naushad Moosa:

See, now the last camp I had, I got around 14 days when I was travelling to Tajikistan. I was just talking to the players, I was just telling them one thing. You know, it’s very important, you believe.Now the problem is, if you don’t think you are good, you are never good. So, if you see the result we had against Tajikistan, against Kyrgyzstan, it was a very good result, though we lost the first game. We were leading with 10 men.

But the players understood, yes we can do it. So, I will request all the players, all the players who want to be a footballer or want to do anything in life. What is important is, first start believing in yourself. The moment you start believing, yes I can achieve it, yes you can achieve it.

Soccermonk:

Are ISL clubs doing enough to invest in grassroots football and local scouting?

Naushad Moosa:

Of course, most of the clubs, all the ISL clubs are really doing well you know. See, if you want results, it’s not in a year’s time. We need to have a long term program. It can be 5 years, 10 years. So now, the way football is developing, of course, all the clubs are really doing well. Even in the North East, if you see, in the last 2 years, since the time we have come, we have been working a lot now.

On youth development. And then, again, to have a residential setup, of course, it will take some time. It will take another year or two when we will have our own residential setup. So, there are clubs like Punjab FC, they are doing really well. This year, if you see last season, they got good results with the youth system. All the youth teams, they were doing really well. Even Mohun Bagan doing well, Goa doing well, Bangalore FC is doing well. You know, we are also trying to catch up. So, yes, of course. Again, no shortcuts. If you want success, it has to be a long term program.

Soccermonk:

If you were given complete freedom and resources, what would your dream football development project in India look like?

Naushad Moosa:

See, for now, if you ask me, in Guwahati, right now, with NorthEast United, for me, right now, the most important thing is to have more football fields. We need to, most of the clubs right now, the most important thing is, they need to have a lot of grounds for training, for the kids, you know. And then, good facilities. That will be the most important thing, to give them the best, you know. Of course, if you say, they are not being given the best, yes, they are getting, but we still lack that. You know, there should be more infrastructure for football all over the country.

That’s only, then only we will have more players coming up. Because I’ve been to, I’ve done my pro license in Korea, where I saw the way they are working for football, you know. It’s very important, like, everywhere there are so many footballs happening. There are so many grounds being built up for them to train, you know. So, for now, for now, that’s the most important thing. For me, I struggle in Guwahati to get a good training pitch.

You know, that’s the biggest challenge I have now. So, the most important thing will be to have good training facilities. Once we have that, you know, and then educate the coaches. Because these are the people who will develop the players. So, more education to the coaches.

Soccermonk:

Finally, what message do you have for young Indian coaches who are dreaming of a long career in football?

Naushad Moosa:

See, I have said before also, you know, it’s very important, you as a coach, to have a winning mentality. Yeah, and how you develop that into the players, how you bring that into the players. And then, when you are working with small kids, it’s not about winning. It’s about developing those players in technical ability, tactical ability. But, what, I have made that mistake. In the past, I have made that mistake. When I started coaching, you know, I was just making a team to win matches. You know, what is very important in the youth system is for you to develop the players, the technical ability. That will stay forever.

You know, of course, winning is important. But, it’s very important for you as a coach to develop players. Not make them, not build a team. It’s not important. For now, what we need is good quality players. And how will you get those quality players is me being good with the technical ability with the players.

So, once these players have good technical ability, if you see, where we lack in Indian football is technical ability. And how that will come is by training the youths. So, when these small kids, once these youths, once these young kids are strong with the technical ability, we will have a strong pool of players coming up to the higher level.

Soccermonk:

One last question. You have seen Indian football from the inside for three decades. What’s one truth about Indian football, no one wants to talk about, but should?

Naushad Moosa:

See, the truth about Indian football is, you know, we have a lot of potential. We have a lot of potential. We need the right people to develop the game, to develop the sport, to take it to some level. So, for now, that is the most important thing. We need the right people working in the system.

Naushad Moosa Interview Video

As Indian football navigates its most crucial developmental phase, leaders like Naushad Moosa stand quietly but firmly at shaping not just players, but a philosophy. His vision, patience, and commitment to the grassroots offer hope that the next generation of Blue Tigers won’t just rise, they’ll roar.