By a Staff Reporter
Kathmandu – Nepal is all set to kick off their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign facing Laos in the playoff stage of the Asian Qualifiers as confirmed by a draw held at the AFC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The playoff fixtures against Laos are scheduled for October 12 and October 17. Nepal will host Laos in the first outing on October 12 and then travel to Laos to compete in the second. The outcome of these two matches will determine whether Nepal advances further in the World Cup qualifiers.
Currently, 26 teams have already secured their spots for the second round. A total of 36 teams, including the 10 qualifiers from the playoffs, will be divided into nine groups, each comprising four teams. The top two teams from each group will earn a berth in the World Cup qualifiers third round and secure a spot in the AFC Asian Cup 2027.
The preliminary playoffs featured two groups: Pot 1 consisted of teams ranked 27th to 36th, while Pot 2 comprised teams ranked from 37th to 46th. In this setup, a team from Pot 1 competes against a team from Pot 2.
Nepal’s most recent encounter with Laos was during the Three Nations Cup held at Dasarath Stadium in March which featured Nepal, Bhutan, and Laos. Nepal emerged victorious, securing a 2-0 win over Laos, thanks to Ananta Tamang’s header and a stunning strike by Nawayug Shrestha. The team went on to clinch the Three Nations Cup title, defeating Laos once again in the finale. Young talents Ayush Ghalan and Manish Dangi scored for the hosts, while Sngvilay managed to score a consolation goal for Laos.
