Nepal out of AFC U20 Asian Cup Qualifiers

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Sept. 28: Nepal’s chance to qualify for the AFC U20 Asian Cup ended on Friday after the team lost the final group match in the Qualifiers against Bahrain at the ground of Fu Jen University in New Taipei. 

Bahrain won the match by a score of 4-0 and climbed to the third position among the five teams in Group B. There are five groups of five teams each and five groups of four teams each in the AFC U20 Asian Cup Qualifiers underway throughout the continent. 

It was Nepal’s third loss in four matches. Nepal had lost to Cambodia by 1-4 on September 21, to AFC U20 Asian Cup defending champions Uzbekistan by 0-6 on September 25 and against Bahrain on Friday. 

The only win for Nepal came against the host Chinese Taipei on September 23. Samir Tamang’s hat-trick led Nepal to a 3-1 win over the host. According to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the 10 group winners and five best second-placed teams will advance to the Finals.

Thus, Nepal, with three points, had a chance to make it 6 against Bahrain and keep the chance of qualifying for the Cup competition as the second-best team. China is said to host the Cup finals in 2025.

However, Bahrain, a better team, knocked Nepal out of the list of teams with a chance for the Finals. 

Bahrain led by 2-0 in the first half and scored two more in the second half. Nepali defenders were the busiest players throughout the match as Bahrain kept on attacking. Jiyarat Sheikh made several good saves for Nepal, but Bahrain forced their way on four occasions.

Sami Bassam Sami Husain Awdi was the first scorer for Bahrain. Sami scored from a freekick awarded outside the 18-yard box. Jiyarat responded as the shot neared but his dive was late to save the powerful shot.

Nepal also conceded the second goal from a freekick. Khaled Ahmad H. Alkhalaf was the scorer as he scored from the left side of the 18-yard box; a shot that seemed to have been deflected off the head of Niraj Karki, who was standing as a bar. 

Sami Bassam scored his second in the 73rd minute. From between two defenders, around 22 yards away, Sami shot and scored from over Jiyarat, who had come a little forward from the goal line. The fourth goal came from a corner kick in the 84th minute as Ali Ahmed Abdulla Ali Hasan was allowed a free header.