In early May, the Nepali national men’s football team travelled to Manang for a six-day high-altitude training camp. The crisp air of the Himalayas was beneficial to the team, according to head coach Matt Ross. It wasn’t just about altitude, he remarks, but also about attitude.

“Manang was a beautiful place,” Ross said at a function by All Nepal Football Association organised on Monday to bid farewell to the team heading to Hong Kong for a friendly on Thursday. “The training went well and it yielded great results.”

The team is flying to Hong Kong on Tuesday.

The Hong Kong friendly will be a preparation for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers, where Nepal are facing Laos in the first leg of the Third Round on June 10.

“We are definitely looking for a win in both games,” Ross told the Post.

Ross, who has over two decades of coaching experience, joined Nepal’s men’s team in March. Since then, he led the national team to two matches, both in March. The Australian-born led Nepal to a historic win over Singapore in a friendly on March 21 but lost 0-2 to Malaysia in the first group game of the Third Round of the qualifiers on March 25.

Among the 24 teams divided into six groups of four each, Nepal, Malaysia, Laos and Vietnam make up Group F in the Third Round. The top teams from each group will enter the final six spots of the 2027 Asian Cup.

Nepal will play six games in total during the Third Round as the group members face each other twice in a home-away format. Nepal’s second game against Malaysia, at Nepal’s home, is scheduled for November 18.

After facing Laos and Vietnam on June 10 and October 9, respectively, Nepal will host Vietnam and Laos on October 14 and March 31, 2026, respectively.

Speaking to the Post, Ross expressed confidence that his team can qualify for the nation’s maiden Asian Cup.

“My players are promising,” Ross said. “They are showing their abilities in training. They have huge potential.”

The Hong Kong friendly is a low-stakes one; but even if the results of the match would not affect Nepal’s pathway to the Asian Cup, it would set the tone for their future.

Fresh from their training in Manang, Nepal are in high spirits and also relatively relaxed as they had defeated Laos in the First Round of the Qualifiers in October 2023.

Nepal and Laos played a 1-1 draw at Dasharath Stadium on October 12, while Nepal registered a 1-0 away win in the second leg on October 17 to win by 2-1 in aggregate.

“We hope that the squad can defeat Laos in the first leg and improve their chances for the Asian Cup,” Kiran Rai, ANFA’s general secretary, said, adding, “We want to see the team reach Laos with a victory over Hong Kong.”

Hong Kong are also better prepared than Nepal and are looking at the friendly more seriously. Hong Kong, who are facing India in the Third Round of the qualifiers on June 10, also faced Premier League giant Manchester United a couple of days ago. They lost to United 1-3 but not without mounting a good challenge.

Nepal’s captain and wall Kiran Chemjong said the players returned from Manang not only fitter but also more united, focused, and committed to the long journey ahead.

“We had enough time to improve our bond,” Chemjong told the Post after the farewell. “It was the first-of-its-kind training for us. And it was highly beneficial.”

Both coach Ross and skipper Chemjong echoed that the way the team was shaping up—the camaraderie between the players and the fresh energy they carry—would prove to be crucial for the upcoming days.

Meanwhile, the increase in the budget for the sports sector in the upcoming fiscal year should also inspire athletes, Minister for Youth and Sports Teju Lal Chaudhary said at the farewell.

“We will improve the conditions for the athletes,” Chaudhary said, “so they can focus on winning.”

Squad: Kiran Chemjong (GK), Bishal Sunar (GK), Deep Karki (GK), Abhishek Limbu, Ananta Tamang, Anjan Bista, Arik Bista, Ayush Ghalan, Bimal Pandey, Gillespye Jung Karki, Kritish Ratna Chhunju, Kushal Deuba, Laken Limbu, Mani Kumar Lama, Manish Dangi, Rohit Chand, Rohan Karki, Sanish Shrestha, Srijan Raj Gautam, Suman Shrestha, Sumit Shrestha, Subash Bam Thakuri and Yogesh Gurung.