The match between Nepal and Yemen in the second round of the Asian qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2026 ended in a 2-2 draw. The game, held at the Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd Ground in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, concluded early this morning.
According to international media reports, Nepal’s forward duo Sanjeev Bista and Gillespijung Karki each scored a goal for their team. The match saw an early lead for Yemen when they were awarded a penalty in the ninth minute due to a foul by Manish Dangi on Yemeni player Rami Al-Wasmani inside the box. Yemen’s Naseem Al-Gahwahi successfully converted the penalty.
Nepal equalized in the 22nd minute with a goal from Sanjeev Bista. They then took the lead in the 66th minute when Gillespie Karki scored from a header off a cross by Chiring Lama. However, Nepal’s 2-1 lead was short-lived as Yemen’s Mohammed Al-Dahi scored in the extra time of the second half, resulting in a 2-2 draw.
With this draw, Nepal secured their first point in the qualifying competition, having not scored any points in their previous matches. This match concluded Nepal’s journey in the second round of World Cup qualifiers with a total of one point from six group stage matches.
In their earlier matches, Nepal lost to UAE 4-0, Yemen 2-0, and suffered heavy defeats against Bahrain, losing 5-0 in the first match and 3-0 in the second match.
In Group ‘H’, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) leads with 16 points, followed by Bahrain with 11 points. Both teams have advanced to the third round of World Cup qualifiers. Yemen and Nepal, who are tied with five points, will also compete in the third stage of the Asian Cup qualifiers.
12th Jun 2024
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