Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Nepal suffered a 2-1 loss against Laos in an AFC Asian Cup Qualifier match held in Vientiane, Laos, on Tuesday.
This marked Nepal’s first-ever defeat against the Southeast Asian opponent.
Laos took the lead in the 13th minute when Damoth Thongkhamsavath scored with a header from a corner kick. The hosts maintained their 1-0 advantage through the first half, as Nepal struggled to mount a strong response after falling behind. Peeter Phanthavong doubled Laos’ lead four minutes after the restart.
Nepal pulled one back in the 71st minute from a penalty kick after Manish Dangi was fouled inside the box. Although Nepal fought for the equalizer, the Lao defense prevented Nepali attackers from creating any meaningful moves.
This was Nepal’s second consecutive defeat in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers, following a 2-0 loss to Malaysia in their opening match.
Nepal is in Group ‘F’ of the qualifiers which also includes Southeast Asian powerhouse Vietnam
Each team will play six matches on a home-and-away basis, with the group winner qualifying for the 19th AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia in 2027.
