In the third round of the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, Nepal suffered a 1-0 defeat against Laos. Laos captain Bounphachan Bounkong scored in the 47th minute, giving the home team the lead. Nepal managed only 3 points from 6 matches in Group F. Kathmandu, 17 Chaitra.
In the final match of the third round of the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, Nepal once again lost to Laos. The Group F match held on Laos’s home ground ended with Nepal losing 1-0. The first half concluded goalless, but Laos took the lead early in the second half. Laos captain Bounphachan Bounkong scored in the 47th minute to put the hosts ahead. Receiving a pass from Choni Vinpasert, Bounkong deftly bypassed Nepal’s captain and goalkeeper Kiran Chemjong before scoring.
Nepal pushed to equalize but could not capitalize on their chances. Both teams missed scoring opportunities in the first half. Nepal wasted a chance to score in the 35th minute when the ball went wide just past the post. Earlier, in the 24th minute, a Laos player’s shot hit the crossbar, and the rebound was safely cleared by Nepal’s goalkeeper, Kiran Chemjong. Previously, in the initial qualifier match held in Laos, Nepal had also lost 2-1. This marks the first time in Nepalese football history that Nepal has suffered consecutive defeats against Laos.
In the preceding five matches of this round, Nepal had won four and drawn one. Already eliminated from the Asian Cup contention, Nepal finished their Group F campaign with only 3 points from 6 matches. These 3 points were awarded not from a win on the field but after the AFC Disciplinary Committee overturned Malaysia’s win due to their use of an ineligible player.
