Kathmandu, March 21 -- Coach Vincenzo Alberto Annese will be aiming to turn around the fortunes of Nepal when they play a double header against Bahrain in the second round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2027 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers at the Bahrain National Stadium on Friday.

The stakes are high but the Gorkhalis will be sailing into uncharted and hostile waters.

This will be the first official meeting between the two sides in an international competition, although Nepal played their Under-21 side in the 2016 Bangabandhu Cup final which Nepal won 3-0.

Nepal started their second round with a 4-0 defeat away at the United Arab Emirates and a 2-0 loss at home to Yemen. The back-to-back defeats have left underperforming Nepal at the bottom ...