Two new faces in Nepal’s squad for 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification

KATHMANDU: Nepali men’s football team has announced a 23-member squad for the First Round of qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Head Coach Vincenzo Alberto Annesse has included two new faces – Defender Amrit Shrestha and Forward Sanjiv Bista – in the squad. Amrit plays for the Himalayan Sherpa Club, while Sanjiv is the marksman of the New Road Team.

Nepal is playing against Laos in the two-leg format in the first round of the qualification. While the first match will be played at the Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu on Thursday, the second match will be played in Laos on October 17.

The winners of the Nepal-Laos tie will be placed in Group H in the second round where it will meet United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and the winner between Sri Lanka and Yemen.

Nepal Squad:
Goalkeepers: Kiran Kumar Limbu, Deep Karki, Abhishek Baral

Defenders: Sanish Shrestha, Ananta Tamang, Ashish Gurung, Rohit Chand, Anjan Rai, Ashish Chaudhary, Amrit Shrestha

Midfielders: Arik Bista, Sudeep Gurung, Laken Limbu, Awas Lamichhane, Utsav Rai, Kritish Ratna Chunju, Manish Dangi

Forwards: Anjan Bista, Ayush Ghalan, Gillespie Jung Karki, Dinesh Henjan, Hisub Thapalia, Sanjeev Bista