Kathmandu, June 10
Nepal is playing against Laos today in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers today at the New Laos National Stadium. The match will begin at 5:45 PM Nepali time.
Nepal’s national football team head coach, Matt Ross, said the team is not taking the match against host Laos lightly.
As Laos is the home team, there should be no room for mistakes, said Coach Ross during the pre-match press conference on Tuesday evening. He mentioned that Laos could take advantage of their home ground, so the team is cautious.
Highlighting that Laos can be a strong competitor on home soil, he said, “I think Laos is a well-organised team. They are very aggressive, and any mistakes against them can make them put us a risk,” Ross said. “That is why we are taking tomorrow’s match very seriously.”
Both Nepal and Laos, of Group F, lost their first match in the qualifiers. Hence, both teams will be aiming to gain points. Since Nepal has never lost to Laos before, the team is aiming for a win to register points in the qualifiers.
Before facing Laos, Nepal had played a friendly match against Hong Kong. After holding Hong Kong to a goalless draw, the Nepali team arrived in Laos.
Coach Ross also hinted at some changes in the Nepali lineup. Expressing some uncertainty about fielding the same team that played against Hong Kong, he said, “There could be a few changes to the lineup. Most likely, we will have a stronger team on the ground.”
Defender Sanish Shrestha, who was in the starting lineup against Hong Kong, is injured.
Meanwhile, Nepal captain Kiran Chemjong said the team is fully prepared to face Laos with a positive mindset.
“We are always excited and ready to compete against Laos,” Chemjong said at the pre-match conference. “I have also participated in the last four matches, so we are physically and mentally prepared for the match.”
Additionally, today’s match presents an opportunity for Nepal forward Anjan Bista to set a goal-scoring record. Bista has scored 13 international goals, equaling the tallies of Hari Khadka and Nirajan Rayamajhi. A goal against Laos would make him Nepal’s all-time leading international goal scorer.
This qualifier is the third and final round for the AFC Asian Cup to be held in Saudi Arabia in 2027. Nepal will be playing their second away match in this round. Previously, Nepal lost 2-0 to Malaysia in their first match, and Laos lost 5-0 to Vietnam.
Out of the six matches played between Nepal and Laos so far, Nepal has won four, while two ended in a draw.
