Coach Vincenzo Alberto Annese has announced a 28-member preliminary squad for Nepal’s 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2027 AFC Asian Cup second round qualifier match against the United Arab Emirates.

Rohit Chand has returned to the squad after missing out both legs against Bahrain in March.

Defenders Abhishek Limbu, Bishal Basnet, Saubhagya Rai and Ajay Chaudhary, midfielder Rohan Karki and forward Samir Tamang, who were called up for the first time for Bahrain games, have retained their place in the preliminary squad.

Nepal, pitted in Group H alongside the UAE, Bahrain and Yemen, have already crashed out of the second round without playing their remaining two matches after a winless run of four successive matches left them at the bottom of the group and without a point.

Nepal were scheduled to host the UAE for their second leg at the Dasharath Stadium—Nepal’s only international standard football stadium—on June 6 but will once again play their home fixture at a neutral venue, according to All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) sources.

“Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has directed ANFA to find a neutral venue for the UAE fixture citing lack of standard of Dasharath Stadium,” an ANFA source said.

AFC representatives had raised questions about the stadium’s pitch, flood light and security following an inspection earlier this month.

AFC and ANFA, however, have yet to make their decision public.

Nepal were also forced to play their home match against Bahrain at the Bahrain National Stadium in Riffa after AFC deemed Dasharath Stadium unsatisfactory to host the World Cup qualifier game.

Nepal lost the double fixture against Bahrain 5-0 and 3-0, which had effectively ended Nepal’s hopes to progress to the third round and book an automatic spot in the Asian Cup.

Earlier, Nepal had lost their home match against Yemen 2-0 in Kathmandu and away match to the UAE 4-0 at the Al-Maktoum Stadium in Dubai.

Nepal will wrap up their qualifier campaign with a match against Yemen on June 11.

Nepal still have hopes to qualify for their maiden Asian Cup. They will play in the Asian Cup Qualification (playoffs) in March next year.

Nepal squad

Goalkeepers: Abhishek Baral, Bishal Sunar, Kiran Chemjong, Santosh Mahat

Defenders: Abhishek Limbu, Ananta Tamang, Bimal Pandey, Bishal Basnet, Chhiring Lama, Rohit Chand, Sanish Shrestha, Saubhagya Rai, Ajay Chaudhary, Yogesh Gurung

Midfielders: Bharat Khawas, Laken Limbu, Mani Kumar Lama, Manish Dangi, Basant Jimba, Phatteman Ghale, Rohan Karki, Sumit Shrestha

Forwards: Anjan Bista, Dinesh Henjan, Gillespye Jung Karki, Hisub Thapaliya, Samir Tamang, Sanjeeb Bista