Kathmandu, Nov 17: Nepal suffered a defeat against United Arab Emirates in the first match of the second round of FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier. UAE defeated Nepal 4-0 in the match in Dubai, UAE last night.
For UAE, captain Ali Mabkhout scored two goals and Khalifa Al Hammadi and Fabio Lima one each. UAE scored all four goals in the first half as it kept Nepal under full pressure. Hammadi scored the first goal in the 10th minute.
Similarly, it scored the second goal in the 34th minute through a penalty by Mabkhout. Likewise, Mabkhout scored another goal for UAE in the 44th minute. UAE’s Lima scored the fourth goal in the extra time of the first half.
Despite playing aggressively, UAE could not score a goal in the second half. Repeated attempts of UAE players were thwarted by Nepali players. Nepal’s Anjan Rai, Tshering Lama and Yogesh Gurung made their debut in the match against UAE.
Nepal is facing Yemen in its second match of the qualifiers on 21 November at the Dasharath Stadium. Nepal entered the second stage of the match by beating Laos.
Nepal’s final squad
Goalkeepers: Kiran Kumar Limbu, Deep Karki, Abhishek Baral
Defenders: Sanish Shrestha, Rohit Chand, Anjan Rai, Aashish Chaudhary, Amrit Shrestha, Arik Bista, Chhiring Lama, Yogesh Gurung
Midfielders: Laken Limbu, Utsav Rai, Kritish Ratna Chhunju, Manish Dangi, Sesehang Angdembe, Nishan Hamal
Forwards: Anjan Bista, Ayush Ghalan, Gillespye Jung Karki, Hisub Thapaliya, Sanjeeb Bista, Rajesh Pariyar
