Tied with group leaders Afghanistan and third-placed Oman on six points, second-placed Nepal have already secured a spot in December’s ACC Championship. Victory on Wednesday will see Nepal clinch the trophy provided Oman lose to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the other match of the day. If Nepal and Oman both win, net run-rate comes into play to determine the champions.

Nepal’s Sri Lankan born Canadian coach Pubudu Dassanayake urged his boys to remain focused in their bid to beat Afghanistan in a 50-over game for the first time in a decade. “If we play to our potential we are capable of beating them,” said the Nepal coach.

Nepal last defeated Afghanistan during the ACC Trophy plate final in 2004. The game was Afghans’ first ever international tournament but they have marked a remarkable resurgence ever since, playing two Twenty20 World Cups and earning a ticket to the 2015 50-over World Cup.

Afghanistan defeated Nepal in the third-place playoffs of the 2006 and 2008 ACC Trophy and also in the final of 2010 edition. Afghanistan also prevailed over Nepal in the 2008 ICC World Cricket League Division V semi-finals. They also defeated Nepal by three runs in the 2013 Emerging Teams Cup.

Despite history heavily stacked against them in the 50-over match, Nepal will take heart from their nine-run victory over the opponents in the 2014 ICC World Twenty20 in Bangladesh. Nepal have a fine outing in Malaysia where they have already defeated 2015 World Cup finalists the UAE and ODI team Hong Kong.

Dassanayake believes defeating Afghanistan would be an icing on the cake.

“We have exhibited our class by defeating two newly promoted ODI teams (the UAE and Hong Kong). We lost to Oman due to our own mistakes in an otherwise excellent tournament so far. Defeating another ODI team, who are playing the World Cup next year, will be outstanding achievement for us,” said Dassanayake.

Though his team defeated Afghanistan in the World Twenty20, skipper Paras Khadka wants to make a fresh start. “It’s a positive sign that we finally defeated them but now we are against them in a different format. We have to start all over again. We just have to play good cricket and we are more focused on our strengths and plans,” said Khadka.

Afghanistan came into the tournament without the experienced players in Karim Sadiq, Mohammad Shahzad, Nowroz Mangal

and Asghar Stanikzai but they have still delivered except for a shock three-wicket loss to Malaysia. Dassanayake, however, was not taking the new-look Afghan side lightly.

“There are few youngsters who have been doing pretty well  for Afghanistan,” said the Nepal coach. “But I am more concerned about our own performance as we need to play to our strength,” said Dassanayake hinting at bringing in an extra spinner in place of U-19 allrounder Aarif Sheikh. Sheikh had memorable debut taking 2-33 against Hong Kong on Monday. However, the Afghanistan’s vulnerability to slow bowling so far may prompt  Dassanayake to draft in an extra spinner in place of Sheikh.