National men's team head coach Vincenzo Alberto Annese added three more players to his preliminary national team squad.
Friends Club midfielders duo Santosh Khatri and Kushal Phuyal and Jawalakhel Youth Club forward Hisub Thapaliya have been called up for the national team. The initial squad has now reached 33.
Hisub Thapaliya
Head coach Annese, speaking to ANFA Media, said the reason to include three players was to give them the motivation and the chance to join the national team. "Also the players from Machhindra Football Club and Tribhuvan Army Club will be busy in their club competitions," Annese added.
Machhindra is scheduled to face Paro FC in the AFC Cup Preliminary Stage and Tribhuvan Army will play in the Durand Cup.
Santosh Khatri
Coach Annese added players playing from Machhindra and Army called up for the initial squad of the national team will join the national team after the conclusion of their respective club tournaments. The closed camp of the national team will begin from August 1.
Nepal have been drawn alongside Laos in the Preliminary Round 1 of FIFA World Cup 2026. The first leg of the match will be played in Nepal on October 12 and second leg in Laos on 17 October as per the home and away format.
Kushal Phuyal (Jersey no 32)
If Nepal qualifies for the second round, Nepal will face UAE, Bahrain and winner of Yemen and Sri Lanka in Group H of the second round. The second round matches will be played in home-and-away format in between November 2023 and June 2024.
Nepali squad
Goalkeepers: Kiran Kumar Limbu (RG Punjab FC), Anish Deula (Jawalakhel Youth Club), Deep Karki (Manang Marsyangdi Club), Abhishek Baral (Satdobato Youth Club)
Defenders: Bimal Panday (Tribhuvan Army FC), Sanish Shrestha (APF Football Club), Ananta Tamang (Church Boys United), Devendra Tamang (Machhindra Football Club), Ashish Gurung (Manang Marsyangdi Club), Rohit Chand (Persic Kedri), Simanta Thapa (Jawalakhel Youth Club), Anjal Maharjan (Friends Club), Chhiring Lama (Jawalakhel Youth Club), Anjan Rai (Nepal Police Club)
Midfielders: Arik Bista (Church Boys United), Sudip Gurung (Satdobato Youth Club), Laken Limbu (Three Star Club), Awas Lamichhane (APF Football Club), Utsav Rai (Machhindra Football Club), Bishal Tamang (Jawalakhel Youth Club), Bibek Poudel (Church Boys United), Kritish Ratna Chhunju (NRT), Santosh Khatri (Friends Club), Kushal Phuyal (Friends Club)
Forwards: Ayush Ghalan (Sankata Club), Nawayug Shrestha (Tribhuvan Army FC), Anjan Bista (Church Boys United), Manish Dangi (Sankata Club), Aashish Chaudhary (Church Boys United), Bimal Gharti Magar (Machhindra Football Club), Gillespye Jung Karki (Tribhuvan Army FC), Dinesh Henjan (Tribhuvan Army FC), Hisub Thapaliya (Jawalakhel Youth Club)
