Before the preliminary round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, the Nepali national men's football team is going to face Myanmar, a higher ranked nation as a preparation. Nepal will be travelling to Myanmar for the two FIFA International friendlies on Tuesday September 5.
Nepal vs Myanmar Match Preview
Currently, the Nepal national men's football team is ranked 175th in FIFA. While Myanmar are ranked 160th i.e.15 position above Nepal. Both of these sides are competing in the first round of the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2027 FC Asian Cup joint qualifiers. Nepal will met Laos while Myanmar will met Macau in the Round 1 of the qualifiers.
Talking about the game level and FIFA ranking, Nepal and Myanmar are the stronger sides than Laos and Macau. That is why Nepal and Myanmar have come to face each other as they are stronger and equal footballing nations.
Nepal vs Myanmar Head to head
Nepal has already met Myanmar twice. The last time these two faced each other was in November 2019. Nepal was defeated by Myanmar 3-0 in the match which was held at Mandalathiri Stadium in Burma, the capital of Myanmar.
Before that, these two competed in the Group Stage for the first time in the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup while being in the same group. Where Nepal was defeated with a similar score line of 3-0. Myanmar was the semi-finalist of the same tournament, but they were deprived of reaching the final after losing to India 1-0.
Watch Nepal vs Myanmar Video Here:
Nepal's Squad announced against Myanmar friendly
The Nepali national men's football team has been training since August 1 for the friendly match with Myanmar and the World Cup qualifier against Laos. on Sunday September 3, the head coach of the national team, Vincenzo Alberto Annese announced the 23 men's final squad that will travel to Myanmar, leaving out some well-known players (excluding 10 players from the 33-member team).
Bimal Gharti Magar dropped down for the Myanmar friendlies
The only 4 players from Jawalakhel Youth Club who are out of the team are goalkeeper Anish Deula, right back Simanta Thapa and midfielder Vishal Tamang. Similarly, forward Bimal Gharti Magar and defender Devendra Tamang from Machindra, left back Bimal Pandey of Army, Midfielder Santosh Khatri & Kushal Phuyal of Friends Club, Bibek Poudel of Church Boys are also out of the team.
MeanwhileDinesh Heinjan and risisng star Hishub Thapalia made it to the national team for the first time, Jawalakhel's center back Chiring Lama, Machindra's young midfielder Utsab Rai, who performed very well in the AFC Cup, are also the new names in the squad.
Annese still struggling for left back in the team
The head coach Annese has picked 6 defenders and 6 midfielders including 8 strikers out of 23 members. Still he has not found any player in the proper left position. Bimal Pandey who came to the vacant left back position he could not perform satisfactorily. It was after the injury of TAFC's Bikash Khawas in the Division League, Nepal national football team still lacks a proper left back since the PM Three Nations Cup 2023.
Nepal vs Myanmar Match time & schedules
The match between Nepal and Myanmar will be played on September 8 and 11, i.e. Bhadra 22 and 25 at the Thuwunna Stadium Yangon. The match will start at 4:45 PM according to Nepali time.
Nepal vs Myanmar Match live
Nepal squad against Myanmar FIFA friendlies
Goalkeepers: Kiran Kumar Limbu, Deep Karki, Abhishek Baral
Defenders: Sanish Shrestha, Anant Tamang, Ashish Gurung, Rohit Chand, Anjan Rai, Chiring Lama
Midfielders: Eric Bist, Sudeep Gurung, Laken Limbu, Awas Lamichhane, Utsav Rai, Kritisharat Chunju
Forwards: Ayush Ghalan, Navyug Shrestha, Anjan Bista, Manish Dangi, Ashish Chaudhary, Gillesjung Karki, Dinesh Henjan, Hishub Thapaliya