Nepalese newspaper: 'It is very difficult to draw with Vietnam'

Nepal (red) played defensively and only lost 0-1 to Japan in the opening match on August 14. Photo:German Dong.

“If they can hold Vietnam to a draw, Nepal’s chances of finishing second in the group and advancing are very high. But it is extremely difficult, even when the team plays at their best. In previous meetings, in the Asian Cup qualifiers in Incheon in 2003, Vietnam defeated Nepal 5-0 and 2-0,” the daily said.Kathmanduwritten before the match tonight 16/8 at Asiad 2018.

Vietnam are currently top of Group D thanks to a 3-0 win over Pakistan in their opening match. Despite having no points, Nepal surprised everyone by losing only 0-1 to Japan. Today's match is crucial for both Vietnam and Nepal.

Sharing with the domestic media, assistant coach Bal Gopal Maharjan affirmed that a draw against Vietnam would open up the opportunity to enter the knockout round against Nepal, so his team has a detailed plan to win at least one point in this match.

In this year's tournament, in addition to the two teams that finished first and second in each group, the four third-placed teams with the best records will also advance. Therefore, the opportunity for Nepal is not impossible. After limiting the number of goals conceded in the match against Japan, they hope to hold Vietnam to a draw and then defeat a team of similar level as Pakistan.

Nepal has never won a game at the Asian Games. They have only scored one goal in a 3-1 loss to Kuwait in 1982 and have conceded 65 goals in total. "This year, Nepal started well with a 1-0 loss to Japan, the 2010 champions. With Pakistan as their final opponent, we can dream of qualifying for the group stage this year," said the newspaper.Kathmanducomment

According to FIFA rankings, Vietnam is ranked 102nd, Nepal is 161st and Pakistan is 201st.