KATHMANDU, JUNE 16
Nepal national football team earned berth in the third and final round of the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers after the Asian Football Confederation revised the qualification process today.
Nepal were among the 22 teams who advanced to the final round qualifiers following the conclusion of the preliminary joint qualifiers second round of the World Cup and Asian Cup.
"Following the conclusion of the Preliminary Joint Qualifiers Round-2, a total of 13 teams, including Asian Cup hosts China and World Cup hosts and reigning Asian champions Qatar have sealed their places for the continental showpiece, which is scheduled to take place from June 16 to July 16, 2023," said the AFC in a release.
The 13 teams - eight group winners and five best runners-up - who earned berths in the Asian Cup finals are Japan, Syria, Qatar, South Korea, Australia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, Vietnam, Lebanon and China.
"Therefore, three of the lowest ranked second-placed teams, all eight third and fourth-placed teams across Groups A to H, as well as three best fifth-placed teams have qualified for the 24-team AFC Asian Cup China 2023 Qualifiers Final Round." Nepal had finished fourth in Group B with two wins in eight matches.
After the AFC revision of the qualification process, only four out of the 39 participating teams will play the playoffs. Indonesia, Cambodia, Chinese Taipei and Guam will contest for the two berths in the final round qualifiers. Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kuwait earned berths in the final round as the lowest second-placed teams from the preliminary joint qualifiers round, while Bahrain, Turkmenistan, Jordan, Palestine, Malaysia, Philippines, Kyrgyz Republic and India were the third-placed teams in their respective groups.
Likewise, Thailand, Singapore, Mongolia, Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Nepal had finished fourth, while Myanmar, Yemen and Bangladesh advanced to the final round as the best fifth-placed teams.
A version of this article appears in the print on June 17, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.
