Nepal are locking their horns with hosts Philippines in the first away match of the AFC Asian Cup 2019 Qualifiers at Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila, Philippines, on Tuesday.

The match will begin at 5:45 pm Nepali time.

Nepal are playing the match without their captain Biraj Maharjan. Kamal Shrestha would replace Maharjan in the right back.

Along with Philippines, Nepal are drawn with Tajikistan and Yemen in Group ‘F’ of the final qualifying round.

The 24-team qualifier, divided into six pools, offers 12 berths for the finals scheduled for January 5, 2019  kickoff in the UAE.

The 12 teams from the qualifier will join the defending champions Australia, China, Iraq, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Thailand, Uzbekistan and hosts UAE in the finals. The qualifier will be played on home and away format. 

Nepal, who had crashed out from the first round of the joint 2018 Fifa World Cup and AFC Asian Cup, were granted the berth in the qualifier in place of Guam, who withdrew from the event. 

Despite failing to earn their place in the final round of the Qualifiers, AFC gave Nepal a second chance following their victory in the AFC Solidarity Cup in Malaysia.

Nepal had clinched the trophy by defeating Macau 1-0 in final in Kuching.

Kiran Chemjong, Rabin Shrestha, Ananta Tamang, Aditya Chaudhary, Kamal Shrestha, Sujal Shrestha, Bikram Lama, Rohi Chand, Anjan Bista, Bharat Khawas and Bimal Gharti Magar are in the playing set.