Kathmandu (HamroKhelkud) – Nepal suffered a convincing loss against UAE in the first match of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers Second Round. Nepal lost 4-0 against a fairly superior UAE side at the Al-Maktoum Stadium in Dubai.
UAE’s record goalscorer and skipper Ali Mabkhout netted twice for the hosts while Khalifa Al-Hammadi and Fabio Lima also put their names on the scoresheet with a goal each.
As expected, UAE were the dominant side from the very start of the match. Nepal had to su-off Laken Limbu due to an apparent ankle injury early in the match and he was replaced by Amrit Shrestha who was the culprit in the two goals Nepal conceded in the match. He was then subbed off on a yellow and was replaced by debutant Yogesh Gurung at the start of the second half.
UAE went ahead inside the first ten minutes. Ali Saleh Amro’s cross was headed home by Al-Hammadi with ease to put the home side ahead. Nepal’s right back Sanish Shrestha lost his man at the far post in the cross whipped from the left flank giving clear air for Al-Hammadi to score.
Nepal tried to put together an attacking move three minutes later. But all Nepal could do with the move was a wayward shot from outside the box by makeshift left-back Aashish Chaudhary.
The 26th minute saw Nepal’s skipper and goalkeeper Kiran Chemjong come off the line to the edge of the box to save Caio Correa’s attempt off a well-guided through-ball from Abdallah Bekheet. Kiran was kept busy three minutes later by a Fabio Lima free-kick from a tight angle. His shot from outside the box right after the free-kick was saved couldn’t trouble Kiran.
Correa’s headed attempt in the 34th minute rattled the crossbar. A minute later, however, UAE were awarded a penalty after a rash challenge by substitute Amrit Shrestha on Bekheet. The talismanic striker Mabkhout stepped up to extend his international tally at the top of the Emirati goalscoring chart.
Mabkhout added his second of the game in the 44th minute- a free header inside the box that looped over Kiran who was muddled by his own teammate Amrit at the goal line. Fabio Lima added to Nepal’s misery just a minute later with a tidy finish from a Bekheet cross from the left to score fourth for the UAE.
The second half was also dominated by the home side but Nepal created a few chances to decrease the deficit. However, the second forty-five minutes were also dominated by the hosts. Mabkhout’s attempt in the 53rd minute after kneeling down two Nepali defenders was blocked by Rohit Chand. Three minutes later, Nepal’s first shot-on-target came from Chhiring Lama’s header from an Aashish Chaudhary cross that was gathered easily by UAE’s man between the sticks, Khalid Al-Mesmari.
In the 79th minute, Mohammed Al-Blooshi’s shot was easily saved by Kiran. In the 81st minute, Manish Dangi’s half-volley from the edge of the box was well saved by Al-Mesmari. In the 86th minute, Caio Correa’s shot was saved again by Kiran, keeping his goalpost shut in the second half at least- a positive Vincenzo Alberto Annese’s side will take going into the home fixture against Yemen in five days.
The Italian head coach handed three debuts in the match. Defender Chhiring Gurung started the match, earning his first cap while defenders Yogesh Gurung and Anjan Rai came off the bench to don the national colours for the very first time.
Nepal will take on Yemen on November 21 in Kathmandu in the second group match. Nepal, in Group H, are alongside UAE, Yemen and Bahrain.
