Bahrain National Stadium – Nepal’s World Cup dreams were dealt a heavy blow as they fell to a convincing 3-0 defeat against a rampant Bahrain side in their Group H qualifier. The home team asserted their dominance early on, with a clinical first-half display leaving the Nepalese with a mountain to climb.

Early Barrage

Bahrain could have spent more time taking control. A defensive lapse from Nepal in the seventh minute gifted Mahdi Baker a golden chance, and the forward made no mistake, slotting the ball home to open the scoring. Nepal’s woes deepened moments later when captain Kiran fouled Bahrain, giving Bahrain a penalty. Abdullah Youssef Hella stepped up and coolly converted from the spot to double the lead.

Clinical Bahrain Punishes Nepal’s Errors

The Nepalese defence continued to struggle, and Kamil Al-Aswad capitalized ruthlessly in the 36th minute. His clinical finish put Bahrain firmly in command, leaving Nepal facing an insurmountable task.

Second Half Frustration

Nepal attempted to fight back in the second half, but Bahrain’s organized defence held firm. Sanjib Bista thought he had pulled one back for Nepal, but his goal was ruled out, adding to the visitors’ frustration. The final whistle blew, and Bahrain secured a comfortable victory.

Fourth Straight Loss Leaves Nepal Bottom

This defeat marks Nepal’s fourth consecutive loss in the qualifiers, condemning them to the bottom of Group H without a single point. Their hopes of progressing to the next round of World Cup qualifiers are extinguished, forcing them to shift their focus to the upcoming Asia Cup qualifiers.

Basnet’s Debut a Moment of Hope Amidst Disappointment

A bright spot for Nepal was the debut of young defender Bishal Basnet, who came on for Chiring Lama in the 84th minute. While his introduction couldn’t alter the result, it provided a glimpse into the national team’s future.

Uphill Battle for Nepal

Nepal faces a herculean task in their remaining fixtures. UAE leads the group with a perfect record, while Bahrain sits comfortably in second. Yemen is also ahead of them in the standings, so salvaging any positive results from this World Cup campaign will be a significant challenge for the Nepalese team.