MATCH PREVIEW: Nepal to lock horns with Jordan in World Cup Asian  Qualifiers tonight

KATHMANDU, June 7: Nepal will play against Jordan in the ongoing World Cup Asian Qualifiers  at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait on Monday evening  at 7 pm local time (9:45 NST).

Nepal National Football Team, who is in Kuwait to play the last three matches of the qualifiers, is taking on Jordan, has so far played three matches, however, lost all of them. 

Nepal had suffered a humiliating loss of 0 against 9 goals in the first leg of the second round of the 2014 AFC World Cup Qualifiers on July 23, 2011 while it managed to produce a draw two days later in a match played at its home ground. The last encounter between them happened on October 15, 2019. Jordan beat Nepal 3-0 in a match played at Amman International Stadium in Jordan under the World Cup Asian Qualifiers. 

Though it has poor past records with Jordan, Nepal will play with confidence after defeating Chinese Taipei 2-0 at the same venue on June 3 with goals from Anjan Bista and Nawayug Shrestha.

Nepali head coach Abdullah Almutairi said the team is ready to take Jordan in the World Cup Asian Qualifiers match on Monday.

Abdullah said that Jordan is stronger than  Nepal but would go into the field with an aim of winning the game. "Many have termed us underdogs holding no chance against Jordan but every match starts at 0-0 and the result depends on the performance on the field. Our aim from the start is going to win the game," coach said. "Our goal is to qualify for Asian Cup Qualifiers and we need to win against Jordan for that."

Jordan head coach Vital Borkelmans, on the other hand, said that his team is working hard and the match against Nepal was important for them. "Everybody expects us to take three points but this is football and anything is possible. I saw Nepal playing against Chinese Taipei and Iraq and their quality and playing system has changed," coach Vital said.

Nepal, along with  Jordan, Australia, Taipei and Kuwait, is pitted in Group B.  With six points from two wins, Nepal is at the fifth spot of the points table. Nepal, however, lost its four matches against Australia, Kuwait and Jordan. Australia and Kuwait are the table leaders. 

Nepal’s performance so far in World Cup Asian Qualifiers 

2 - 0 vs Chinese Taipei ( 3 Jun 2021)

0 - 1 vs Kuwait  (19 Nov 2019)

0 - 3 vs Jordan (15 Oct 2019)

0 - 5 vs Australia (10 Oct 2019)

2 - 0 vs Chinese Taipei (10 Sep 2019)

0 - 7 vs Kuwait (5 Sep 2019)

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