HCM City (VNA) – Vietnam secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Nepal in the second leg of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers at Thong Nhat Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City on October 14, with the only goal coming from a Nepalese defender’s own goal.
The match was delayed by 30 minutes due to heavy rain, which left the pitch slippery and significantly affected the quality of play.
In the sixth minute, from a corner kick on the left wing, defender Hieu Minh leapt high to head the ball, causing Nepal’s defender Suman Shrestha to awkwardly score an own goal, giving Vietnam an early 1-0 lead. In the second half, despite the slippery pitch, the Vietnamese players maintained control of the game, and continued to create several chances. Dinh Bac, and Duc Chien and Gia Hung all tried their luck, but the Nepalese goalkeeper stood firm.
The match ended 1-0 in favour of Vietnam.
In the final qualifying round of the 2027 Asian Cup, Vietnam was placed in Group F alongside Laos, Malaysia, and Nepal. The match between Nepal and Vietnam was a “return leg” encounter.
Earlier, after three first-leg matches, Nepal had suffered defeats to Malaysia (0–2), Laos (1–2), and Vietnam (1–3), placing them at the bottom of the group.
Vietnam currently has six points, earned from two triumphs against Laos and Nepal, and one loss to Malaysia.
Vietnam is scheduled to play an away match against Laos on November 18./.
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