Gyanmandu:
Nepal has been selected to play to the second phase Qualifiers for the 2022 Qatar WorldCup. After being ranked among the top 34 of the Asian nation's FIFA preference, Nepal has been able to play the second-phase choice straight away. After being ranked among the top 34 of the 46 Asian Games in the new preference of April, Nepal has been confirmed for the second phase of the match by the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA).
Asian Football Federation(AFC) had already informed ANFA Nepal about the second round of the qualifiers. AFC informed ANFA about the mechanism before group splitting while Nepal got the opportunity to play second phase straight after AFC's top 34. Nepal was ranked 161 in the preference taken in FIFA on April 4. According to the preference, Nepal became the 34th place of AFC rankings.The nation ranked 35 to 46th place of AFC preference will play the first phase of play. Six teams in the first round of the upcoming match will enter second phase. The second round will take among the top 34 and the 6 teams from the first phase playoff, an all together of 40 teams. The second phase of selection will be played in two groups split in September.
Nepal has been playing World Cup Qualifiers since the version of 1986, but this seems to be the first occasion for Nepal being directly selected to play the second phase of the selection. Nepal crossed the first phase in the 2014 edition was able to play the second phase match. Three teams from the South Asian nation have just made space in the second phase. With Nepal and India, Maldives will play the second phase.
The Nations to play the second phase selection:
Iran, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, China, Iraq, Syria, Uzbekistan, Lebanon, Oman, Kyrgyzstan, Jordan, Vietnam, Palestine, India, Bahrain, Thailand, Tajikistan, North Korea, Philippines, China Taipei, Turkmenistan, Myanmar, Hong Kong, Yemen, Afghanistan, Maldives, Kuwait, Indonesia, Singapore, Nepal
