KATHMANDU, October 8, 2023 - In anticipation of the upcoming World Cup 2026 qualifiers, Nepal and Laos are gearing up to face each other in a preliminary match.

The All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) has officially announced that the preparations for this significant fixture, scheduled to take place on October 12th at Dasharath Stadium, are now in their concluding stages.

Laos holds the 186th position in the FIFA rankings, while Nepal stands at the 175th spot. ANFA has revealed that the 25-member Nepali squad is presently engaged in intensive closed training sessions, overseen by the head coach, Vincenzo Aberto Ennis.

In terms of organizational aspects, ANFA has recently granted the commercial and media rights of the qualifiers to the Singapore-based Sports Five.

Ticket pricing for the match has been set at NPR 300 for general admission and NPR 500 for the VIP section. ANFA spokesperson Suresh Shah has affirmed that the association will oversee the ticket management and sales process.

Laos is scheduled to arrive in Nepal on October 9th in preparation for the impending match. Shah also disclosed that the estimated budget for the competition is NPR 7,368,400.