Vietnam National Team narrowly defeats Nepal thanks to an own goal

(Match result) - Vietnam National Team secured the 3 points against Nepal despite a hard-fought 1-0 victory.

The match started with Vietnam taking the initiative. In the 3rd minute, Van Vi made a quick diagonal run and shot, but the ball narrowly missed the goal. In the 5th minute, Vietnam scored the opening goal. From a corner kick, a chaotic scene unfolded inside Nepal’s penalty area, Hieu Minh headed the ball which then deflected off an opposing player before going into the net, putting Vietnam ahead 1-0.

After the goal, Vietnam continued to create dangerous chances. In the 11th minute, Tien Linh executed a classy spin and shot, but unfortunately the ball hit the crossbar. At the 20th minute, Van Vi missed a great opportunity when his close-range shot went over the bar.

Near the end of the first half, Vietnam almost scored a second goal when Thanh Nhan received a wall pass from Van Vi and shot from a tight angle, but the ball hit the post in the 31st minute. The first half ended 1-0.

In the second half, Nepal unexpectedly pushed forward and delivered several dangerous crosses, but goalkeeper Trung Kien remained focused and successfully blocked them.

Vietnam also had chances to extend their lead. In the 66th minute, Dinh Bac had a close-range shot opportunity from a good pass by Truong Tien Anh but failed to beat the Nepal goalkeeper. In the 74th minute, Dinh Bac struck the ball which touched the goalkeeper's hand before hitting the post; luck was not on the home side’s side.

Towards the end, Nepal nearly equalized in the 84th minute when their forward faced goalkeeper Trung Kien but his shot was too inaccurate. The match ended with a minimal 1-0 victory for Vietnam National Team.

Full time, Vietnam 1-0 Nepal

84' Lucky for Vietnam

Nepal’s striker faced goalkeeper Trung Kien but the shot was too off-target.

74' Ball hits the post

Dinh Bac’s shot touched the goalkeeper’s hand before bouncing off the post.

66' No goal

Truong Tien Anh provided a good pass to Dinh Bac, but the close-range shot couldn’t beat the Nepal goalkeeper.

53' Nepal pushes forward

Early in the second half, Nepal played well with several dangerous crosses. Goalkeeper Trung Kien remained alert.

46' Second half begins

Half-time, Vietnam 1-0 Nepal

38' Dangerous moment

Thanh Nhan handled the ball near the penalty area. Fortunately, Nepal’s free kick was blocked by the wall.

31' Still no second goal

Van Vi cleverly set up Thanh Nhan for a tight-angle shot, but unfortunately the ball hit the post.

20' No goal

Another chaotic moment in Nepal’s penalty area ended with Van Vi’s very close-range shot going over the crossbar.

11' Unlucky

Tien Linh spun and took a classy shot but was unlucky as the ball hit the crossbar.

5' Goal, Vietnam opens the score early

Chaos inside Nepal’s box after a corner kick. Hieu Minh headed the ball, which deflected off a Nepal player into the net.

3' No goal

Van Vi made a sudden run down the left wing and took a quick diagonal shot, but the ball narrowly missed the goal.

1' Match starts

Vietnam National Team starting lineup:

Nepal National Team starting lineup:

Vietnam wears white kit:

What time is Vietnam vs Nepal, and where to watch live?

• Time: 7:30 PM, October 14
• Venue: Thong Nhat Stadium, Ho Chi Minh City
• Tournament: Group F, 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers
• Live on: VTV5, VFF Channel

Key information before Vietnam vs Nepal match:

The 3-1 win in the first leg, despite some flaws, was important for Vietnam. While awaiting AFC’s decisions on Malaysia’s illegal naturalization, Coach Kim Sang Sik’s team must focus on winning matches against weaker opponents like Nepal and Laos.

Of course, the recent 3-1 win over Nepal might not fully satisfy fans. Vietnam played with a numerical advantage but still struggled. The offense and finishing need significant improvement despite Tien Linh scoring. The defense also needs to reduce individual errors.

Fans are also eager to see Coach Kim Sang Sik give more chances to young U23 talents. Hieu Minh, Xuan Bac, and Phi Hoang are still waiting for their official debut in the national team. Nepal is not a strong opponent requiring excessive caution.

Vietnam showed dominance over Nepal during 90 minutes at Binh Duong Stadium, especially controlling the midfield and pressure from fullbacks. However, fans likely want to see a dominant performance, a big win, and a clean sheet against Nepal.

Emphasizing the goal of a more convincing win, Coach Kim Sang Sik said the team has prepared well in attack: “In the previous match, we had 20 chances but only scored 3 goals. I hope Tien Linh and the attackers will capitalize better, stay calm, and be more accurate in finishing. The team’s objective is to score more goals and, more importantly, keep a clean sheet.”

Expected lineups for Vietnam vs Nepal:

Vietnam:Trung Kien, Van Vi, Quang Vinh, Duy Manh, Hieu Minh, Pham Xuan Manh, Hoang Duc, Thanh Long, Hai Long, Dinh Bac, Tien Linh

Nepal:Kiran Chemjong, Anjan Bista, Bimal Pandey, Rohit Chand, Pujan Uperkoti, Arik Bista, Ayush Ghalan, Suman Lama, Tej Tamang, Manish Dangi, Jung Karki