Vietnam - Nepal: Affirming Their Strength

Given the clear difference in skill level and the home advantage, fans are eagerly anticipating a "goal fest" from coach Kim Sang-sik’s squad in this game.

After a 0-4 loss to Malaysia at Bukit Jalil Stadium in June, Vietnam temporarily dropped to second place in Group F. However, a major development occurred when FIFA revealed evidence that the Football Association of Malaysia had falsified naturalization documents for seven players. As a result, Malaysia has been banned from competition for one year by FIFA. Malaysian football faces further severe penalties from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the tournament organizer. According to regulations, Malaysia could be handed a 0-3 forfeit loss or even be disqualified from the competition. If that happens, Vietnam would rise to the top of Group F, greatly opening their path to advancement.

However, at the pre-match press conference against Nepal, coach Kim Sang-sik emphasized that the Vietnamese players should focus on Nepal, not Malaysia.

The Vietnam team has shown impressive form under coach Kim Sang-sik, winning 4 of their last 5 matches.

In this match, Vietnam will be without central midfielder Quang Hải due to injury. It is likely that goalkeeper Đặng Văn Lâm, who is performing well with Ninh Bình club, will return to the lineup.

Vietnam’s opponent in this match is Nepal. After two consecutive defeats, the South Asian team currently sits at the bottom of the group. Nepal’s squad brought to Vietnam mainly consists of young domestic players with limited international experience.

Coach Matt Ross’s team is considered to have a significant gap in quality compared to Vietnam. While Vietnam has scored 12 goals in their last 5 matches, Nepal has managed only 2.

This will be the first time in history that these two national teams face each other.

With the home advantage and superior attacking power, Vietnam is predicted to easily control the game from the start. Nepal’s defense, which has conceded 4 goals in 2 matches, is unlikely to withstand the pressure from Vietnam’s effective offense.

The match between Vietnam and Nepal will kick off at 7:30 PM on October 9th. The return leg is scheduled for 7:30 PM on October 14th. A positive result will not only boost coach Kim Sang-sik’s team’s morale but also widen their chances of advancing to the 2027 Asian Cup finals.

Projected starting lineups for both teams

Vietnam: Đặng Văn Lâm, Duy Mạnh, Bùi Tiến Dũng, Pendant, Văn Vĩ, Hoàng Đức, Hai Long, Văn Khang, Tuấn Hải, Tiến Linh, Đình Bắc

Nepal: Kiran Kumar Limbu, Ananta Tamang, Rohit Chand, Arik Bista, Mani Kumar Lama, Ayush Ghalan, Anjan Bista, Laken Limbu, Suman Shrestha, Manish Dangi, Sumit Shrestha