Nepal needs optimum effort against Yemen

The men’s national football team of Nepal  got  off to a losing start in the second round of the 2026 World Cup and 2027 AFC Asia Cup qualifiers in Doha, United Emirates Thursday.

They went down to  heavy favorites the United Arab Emirates 0-4 as predicted.In fact,the final outcome did not come as a surprise.

The hosts dictated play for the most part, but they were far from best.They relied on pace,power, physicality,short and long passes, coupled with individual flair,tactical prowess and technical superiority.  

They put the game beyond the  reach of the opposition in the first half by scoring four  unanswered goals and ensuring themselves an easy victory in front of an expectant home crowd.

Prior to the match the main point of interest was Team Nepal’s overall performance.The  one question on 

everyone’s mind was; how competitive could they be? 

The Nepali outfit did go down by a wide margin, but, by and large,they put in a spirited  performance especially in the second half.

They  made a promising start catching the fancied opponent by surprise but fizzled out quickly. Credit goes to the young offensive line for launching  a few scoring opportunities in both halves.

Team Nepal had to resort  to frantic defending as they  faced a flurry of attacks from the opposition. As a result,they were pinned  down in their  own half.

The complexion of the game did not change much in the second half as the home team dominated the proceedings.

The  Nepali defense stubbornly defended,keeping the opposition at bay. They displayed  great composure,  dogged determination and gallantly defended despite constant pressure.

Denying  the opponent a single goal in the second half was  in itself an achievement of  some sort for the team.

There is no reason for the young Nepali outfit to feel deflated.They played their hearts  out and  lost to  a  much superior opponent.

Now the stage is all set for  the clash between  both winless Nepal vs Yemen in Group H on Tuesday in Kathmandu.

It is imperative for the team  to maintain a positive mindset moving forward.They  have to get  back their mojo. Equally important is staying focused,confident and committed.

The key here is learning from mistakes and not  dwell on them.Turning  the setback into a comeback should be the ultimate goal. 

Keeping this in mind,they must prepare themselves  mentally and physically for the home match against Yemen.

With the crucial home advantage,Nepal does stand a  fairly good chance to bounce back and redeem themselves.

 

However, team cohesiveness needs marked improvement.They have to be a lot sharper offensively and  much better  at finishing.

The  midfielders and defense have to display more compactness.The overall performance has to be at a higher level collectively and individually .

War-ravaged Yemen is higher in FIFA rankings than Nepal. In the previous four meetings between the two nations,Yemen  enjoys a 3 win and 1 draw record against Nepal.

The last time Yemen and Nepal clashed was in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers in 2000 won comprehensively 3-0 by the former. 

Yemen advanced to the second round of the qualifiers by beating and drawing Sri Lanka .They  lost to  Bahrain 0-2 in the second round of the qualifiers.

They are eyeing to turn the tide against Nepal and thus maintain their perfect no defeat record intact.

To put it simply, the Yemeni side is no pushover  and Nepal will  require optimum effort to prevail at the end.