KATHMANDU: Nepal suffered their third consecutive defeat in the third round of the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers.

Earlier, Nepal lost 2–0 to Malaysia and 2–1 to Laos in the first leg of Group ‘F’. On Thursday night at Go Dau Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City, Nepal was defeated 3–1 by the host Vietnam in the first leg.

With their second win, Vietnam secured six points from three matches, maintaining second place on the points table. Malaysia, who beat Laos 3–0 on the same day, remains at the top with nine points.

Laos has three points from three games, while Nepal remains winless with zero points. For Vietnam, Nguyen Tien Linh, Pham Xuan Manh, and Nguyen Van Vui each scored one goal.

Nepal’s only goal came from Sanish Shrestha, but the defender’s effort was insufficient. In the ninth minute, Linh scored to give Vietnam an early lead, but Nepal equalized within eight minutes when Sanish headed in a free-kick.

The first half ended in a draw, but Vietnam dominated the second half. Nepal’s midfielder Laken Limbu received a red card in the first half, which further hindered Nepal from maintaining parity.

In the 67th minute, Manh scored to restore Vietnam’s lead, and Van Vui sealed the 3–1 victory in front of the home crowd in the 72nd minute.

Nepal will begin the second leg of the qualifiers, facing Vietnam again on October 14 on Vietnamese soil.