Nepal’s bid to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup 2023 is all but over after a 4-1 humiliation at the hands of Kuwait on Saturday left them without a win and at the bottom of the AFC Asian Cup Group ‘A’ Qualifiers.

Yousef Nasser scored a brace after Fahal Al Reshidi had put the hosts ahead and second-half substitute Mobarak Alfaneeni added a fourth at the Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium as the Kuwaitis kept afloat their hopes of reaching their 11th Asian Cup finals.

Kuwait, who lost against Indonesia 2-1 on Wednesday, are level with Indonesia at three points. Jordan moved to the top of Group A standings after defeating Indonesia 1-0 on Saturday.

For Nepal, it was their second consecutive loss. Their chances to qualify for the Asian Cup next year remain unlikely, provided only five runners-up with best records from six groups advancing to the next year’s finals. Nepal next play Indonesia on June 14.

The group winners from Group A to F will also join Japan, Syria, Qatar, South Korea, Australia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, China, Iraq, Oman, Vietnam, and Lebanon in the Asian Cup.

China were scheduled to host the 24-team tournament in June-July next year but gave up the hosting rights in May citing “exceptional circumstances caused by the Covid-19 pandemic”. The new host nation is yet to be decided.

Kuwait were aggressive from the start against a Nepali side who are playing their qualifying matches without 11 senior players including captain and goalkeeper Kiran Kumar Limbu.

But makeshift goalie Deep Karki has shone in his international debut in Kuwait City. Karki, who saved a penalty in Nepal’s 2-0 loss against Jordan on Wednesday, denied Kuwait from scoring in the 27th minute when he reached the top corner to deny Al Reshedi, who pounced on a poor clearance by defender Suman Aryal inside the penalty area and aimed his shot at the goal.

In the resulting corner, Al Reshedi was left unmarked and the defender gave Kuwait a deserved lead, bending his header into the far post which Karki was unable to reach.

Naseer should have doubled the lead before the break when Ali Matar released a perfect ball for him at the edge of the area but the forward ended up shooting wide.

Matar also led another vicious attack on the Nepali box when his flawless pass found Oman Alhebaiter near the six-yard box in the 39th minute but goalkeeper Karki reacted quickly to ward off the danger.

Nepal had a golden opportunity to level the score in the first half injury time but Ayush Ghalan’s left footed shot inched away from the post.

Soon after the break, Naseer doubled Kuwait’s lead, beating two Nepali defenders before smashing below Karki.

Nawayug Shrestha went close to scoring in the 57th minute but his shot rattled the bar before flying above the post.

Naseer was on target again in the 70th minute. Bader Al Almotawaa, who replaced Fawaz Alotaibi in the second half, beat the Nepali defence line to find a ball from Ahmad Aldhefiri and squared with Naseer, who finished off the counterattack with a close-ranged shot.

Alfaneeni put the result beyond doubt three minutes later and Naseer was the provider this time. Naseer found a through ball from Almotawaa and beat the advancing goalie Karki to feed Alfaneei, whose low shot deflected off Bikash Khawas before finding the net.

Substitute Darshan Gurung pulled a goal back for Nepal in the third minute of additional time.

To turn the matter from bad to worse, Nepal coach Abdullah Almutairi fell unconscious at the technical area towards the end of the game and had to be rushed to a nearby hospital.

He was discharged a few hours later.

“Head coach Abdullah Almutairi is okay and has been discharged from hospital now,” the All Nepal Football Association said in its Facebook post on Saturday.

“I apologise for the loss today. We will stick to our plans and continue with the regular schedule from tomorrow. I will go for further check-ups after the qualifiers,” the ANFA added, quoting Almutairi.

The Kuwaiti coach, sent under grant by the Qatar Football Association, in April had publicly announced that Nepal had no chance to qualify for the Asian Cup saying the opponents in the group (Group A) were much stronger than Nepal.

Nepal’s preparations for the qualification campaign were hit with a major blow days after Almutairi’s controversial announcement when ten senior members (except captain Limbu) of the national football team were forced to leave the closed camp following a spat with the coach over accommodation arrangements.

The coach had announced a new squad excluding 11 senior members for the qualifiers.