Kathmandu: Nepal's national football team is gearing up to face Laos in the preliminary phase of the FIFA World Cup 2026 and the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, set to commence from October. The Asian Football Federation's headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, has released the game schedule, which includes two matches for Nepal in the first phase.

On October 12 and October 17, Nepal will compete against Laos in their quest to secure a spot in both the FIFA World Cup and the AFC Asian Cup. The first phase of the qualifiers will witness 20 countries vying for qualification, with 48 countries participating in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers and 24 countries in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers.

The other countries contending in the preliminary phase include Afghanistan against Mongolia, Maldives against Bangladesh, Singapore against Guam, Yemen against Sri Lanka, Myanmar against Macau, Cambodia against Pakistan, Chinese Taipei against East Timor, Indonesia against Brunei, and Hong Kong against Bhutan.

As Nepal's football team prepares to take on Laos, football enthusiasts and supporters eagerly await these exciting matches, hoping for their country's success on the road to the prestigious FIFA World Cup and the AFC Asian Cup.