Vientiane: Laos defeated Nepal 2-1 in the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers at the New Laos National Stadium, marking Nepal’s first-ever loss to Laos in a football match.
According to National News Agency Nepal, Damoth Thongkhamsavath and Peter Phanthavong were the key players in securing Laos’ victory, scoring in the 13th and 49th minutes, respectively. Nepal’s Manish Dangi managed to convert a penalty after a foul in the Laos d-box in the 73rd minute, bringing the score to 2-1. Despite this effort, Nepal could not equalize, resulting in a win for the host nation.
This match follows Nepal’s earlier defeat of 0-2 to Malaysia. Placed in Group F alongside Laos, Malaysia, and Vietnam, Nepal aims to secure a spot in the 19th Asian Cup, scheduled to be held in Saudi Arabia in 2027. Nepal is set to play its third match against Vietnam in the coming October.
The Nepali team, under the captaincy of Kiran Chemjong, included players Bimal Pandey, Anant Tamang, Suman Shrestha, Yogesh Gurung, Anjan Bista, Rohit Chand, Erik Bista, Ayush Ghalan, Manish Dangi, and Laken Limbu, with Matt Ross serving as the head coach.