Kuala lumpur: Nepal will not underestimate the strength and quality of the Harimau Malaya squad despite the home team missing seven of their heritage players for tomorrow’s Group F match in the 2027 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup Qualifiers. Nepal’s caution is rooted in their previous encounter, wherein they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Harimau Malaya in their opening Group F clash in March.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Nepal skipper Kiran Kumar Limbu is anticipating another challenging match when they meet at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil tomorrow. Despite the absence of key heritage players in the Harimau Malaya lineup, Kiran Kumar acknowledges the quality of the local players, highlighting their strength and experience in a competitive league. The 35-year-old goalkeeper emphasized the importance of not repeating past mistakes and expressed confidence in their preparation for the upcoming clash.

Kiran Kumar also noted the significance of their recent friendly against Bangladesh, which provided new head coach Hari Khadka the opportunity to evaluate and finalize the starting XI for the crucial match against Harimau Malaya. In contrast, Malaysia, leading Group F with 12 points, will face Nepal in their fifth match without the advantage of friendly matches, having solely relied on a centralised training camp at home.

As the standings currently show, Malaysia sits at the top of Group F with 12 points, followed by Vietnam with nine points, Laos with three points, and Nepal, who are yet to secure a point after losing all four matches.