Kathmandu, October 15: Nepal’s hopes of qualifying for the Asian Cup ended after a 1-0 loss to Vietnam in the second leg of the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers.
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| Nepal Football |
The match, held at Thong Nhat Stadium in Vietnam on Tuesday night, saw Vietnam take the lead through an own goal by Nepal in the fifth minute, when goalkeeper Suman Shrestha’s attempt to save the ball resulted in an inadvertent goal.
In the first leg on Thursday, Nepal had already been defeated 3-1 by Vietnam. With this second loss, Nepal’s campaign in the Asian Cup qualifiers comes to an end.
Nepal was originally scheduled to host the second leg at Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu. However, the stadium was disqualified by the AFC for international matches, forcing Nepal to play their 'home' match in Vietnam.
Competing in Group F, Nepal has now suffered four consecutive defeats, including earlier losses to Laos (2-1) and Malaysia (2-0).
Vietnam currently sits second in the group with nine points from four matches, while Malaysia leads with 12 points. Laos are third with three points, and Nepal remains at the bottom with no points. Only the top team in the group will advance to the Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia in 2027.
On a positive note, Nepal’s defender Rohit Chand marked his 100th international appearance during the match against Vietnam, becoming the second Nepalese player to reach this milestone after captain and goalkeeper Kiran Kumar Limbu.
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