KATHMANDU, Nov 17: Nepal suffered a defeat against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the first match of the second round of FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier. The UAE defeated Nepal 4-0 in the match in Dubai, UAE, last night.

For the UAE, captain Ali Mabkhout scored two goals and Khalifa Al Hammadi and Fabio Lima one each. The UAE scored all four goals in the first half as it kept Nepal under pressure. Hammadi scored the first goal in the 10th minute.

Similarly, the UAE scored the second goal in the 34th minute through a penalty by Mabkhout. Likewise, Mabkhout scored another goal for the UAE in the 44th minute. The UAE's Lima scored the fourth goal in the injury time of the first half.

Despite playing aggressively, the UAE could not score a goal in the second half. Repeated attempts of UAE players were thwarted by Nepali players. Nepal's Anjan Rai, Tshering Lama and Yogesh Gurung made their debut in the match against the UAE. Nepal is facing Yemen in its second match of the qualifiers on 21 November at the Dasharath Stadium. Nepal entered the second stage of the match by beating Laos.

 
• Nepal
 
• UAE
 
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