Nepali national football team's home qualifier match of the FIFA World Cup and AFC Asian Cup against Australia scheduled to take place on March 30 have been postponed to June, according to All Nepal Football Association (ANFA).

"The match has been postponed by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) after a formal request from Football Australia," said ANFA president Karma Tsering Sherpa. "The Australian football governing body had lodged a request letter at the AFC due to recent travel restrictions in European countries. Many Australian footballers play professional football in different European countries."

International news agency Reuters also confirmed that Australia's qualifying match against Nepal has been shifted from March to June due to the impact of Covid-19 pandemic.

Sherpa also said all the remaining matches of the group would take place in a centralised venue instead of home and away format. Nepal should have hosted Australia, Chinese Taipei and Jordan in the remaining three matches of the qualifiers had the event not been interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

"The AFC has set the deadline of March 8 to bid for hosting the match at a centralised venue. We will also make a bid. But it is up to the AFC to decide the hosting right," said Sherpa.

Nepal currently stand fourth in the five-team group 'B' with three points in their kitty. They defeated Chinese Taipei 2-0 in their away match and lost 7-0 to Kuwait and 3-0 to Jordan in away match. Nepal had lost 1-0 against Kuwait in their home match played in Bhutan. The home match played in November 2019 was shifted to Bhutan as Dasharath Stadium was undergoing renovation.