Vietnam - Nepal (2nd half) 3-1: Van Vi raised the score

Việt Nam - Nepal (hiệp 2) 3-1: Văn Vĩ nâng tỉ số - Ảnh 1. — The joy of Vietnamese players after scoring the goal to take the lead against Nepal - Photo: NK

Starting lineup of the two teams :

Vietnam : Goalkeeper is Dang Van Lam, defenders Duy Manh, Xuan Manh and Bui Tien Dung, midfielders Hoang Duc, Le Pham Thanh Long, Cao Pendant Quang Vinh and Truong Tien Anh. Forwards Pham Tuan Hai, Tien Linh and Hai Long.

Nepal : Goalkeeper Kiran Chemjong, defenders Sanish Shrestha, Suman Shrestha, Ananta Tamang, Rohit Chand. Midfielders Arik Bista, Laken Limbu, Manish Dangi, Ayush Ghalan, strikers Rohan Karki, Jung Karki.

After the first two matches of Group F of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers, Vietnam is ranked second with 3 points, 3 points behind the leading team Malaysia.

However, because Malaysia is currently involved in a scandal about creating fake documents for 7 naturalized players, it is likely that they will be punished with a 0-3 loss to Vietnam. If this happens, the possibility of Vietnam winning a ticket to the 2027 Asian Cup is very high.

But first, the Vietnamese team needs more points and a victory against Nepal is a must for coach Kim Sang Sik and his team.

This is the first time in history that two national teams have faced each other. However, the difference in all aspects, from FIFA ranking (114th vs 176th), player quality to performance, is completely in Vietnam's favor.

Meanwhile, Nepal came to Vietnam as the underdogs. After two consecutive losses, the South Asian team is at the bottom of the table and has shown many weaknesses. Their squad consists mainly of young players playing domestically and lacking international experience.

Although coach Matt Ross tried to find new players, including calling up a player who used to play futsal, it was not enough to fill the gap in skill level with a top regional team like Vietnam.