Nepal captain Kiran Kumar Limbu expects tough match against Malaysia despite absence of seven heritage players in AFC Asian Cup qualifier
KUALA LUMPUR: Nepal will not underestimate Malaysia’s national football team despite the absence of seven heritage players for tomorrow’s AFC Asian Cup qualifier.
Nepal captain Kiran Kumar Limbu anticipates another challenging match at Bukit Jalil National Stadium following their 2-0 defeat in March.
“Last time, they had seven heritage players and were stronger,” the 35-year-old goalkeeper said at today’s press conference.
“But now, even without them, I think the local players have just as much quality.”
Limbu acknowledged Malaysia’s strength and high-quality domestic league but vowed his team would not repeat past mistakes.
Nepal’s recent friendly against Bangladesh helped new head coach Hari Khadka finalise his starting lineup for tomorrow’s match.
Malaysia enters the Group F clash without any preparatory friendlies, relying solely on centralised training.
The Harimau Malaya lead Group F with 12 points from four matches.
Vietnam follows with nine points, while Laos has three points and Nepal remains pointless after four losses. – Bernama
