Kathmandu, March 26
Nepal suffered a 2-0 defeat against Malaysia in the first match of the final round of the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers.
In the Group B encounter at Ibrahim Sultan Stadium in Johor, Malaysia, Nepal conceded a goal in each half. Despite arriving in Malaysia with high morale following a 1-0 friendly win against Singapore four days earlier, Nepal failed to challenge Malaysia, which is ranked 43 places higher in the FIFA rankings.
Hector Hevel and Corbin Ong scored a goal each to secure a winning start for Malaysia on home turf.
Hevel, who plays professional football for Portugal’s Portimonense, was included in the Malaysian squad specifically for this match. He made an immediate impact, scoring on his debut. Corbin Ong, an experienced player from Malaysian club Johor Darul Ta’zim, added the second goal in the 70th minute.
With this victory, Malaysia secured three points in Group B, while Nepal started its qualification campaign with a loss. Nepal is set to play its next match against Laos in an away fixture in June.
Nepal was originally scheduled to host Malaysia for this match, but due to Dasarath Stadium failing to meet international standards, the home fixture was played in Malaysia. However, the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) confirmed that Nepal and Malaysia had swapped their home matches, meaning the return leg, originally planned for Malaysia in November, will now be held in Nepal.
In another Group B match, Vietnam thrashed Laos 5-0 to kick off its campaign in dominant fashion.
