Nepal take on hosts Bangladesh in their last but a crucial Group ‘A’ match of the Bangabandhu Gold Cup in Dhaka on Friday.

The match at the Bangabandhu National Stadium will serve as a quarter-final for Nepal where a victory will guide them into the semi-finals. Bangladesh, meanwhile, can make it through even with a draw. Nepal and Bangladesh are both tied on four points each but the latter lead the table on goal difference.

Malaysian top tier Felda United (two points) are still in the hunt for semi-finals and they play bottom-placed Sri Lanka earlier in the day. Provided Felda defeat Sri Lanka with a two-goal margin, a draw against Bangladesh will knock Nepal out from the tournament. A draw for Felda would mean Nepal qualify even if they lose to Bangladesh.

The Nepali squad is boosted by their first victory in 28 months, a 1-0 win over Sri Lanka on Wednesday. Nepal’s current coach Bal Gopal Maharjan was assist to head coach Patrick Aussems when Nepal lost 1-0 to Bangladesh in a friendly ahead of the Saff Championship in India. The familiarity with the South Asian rivals will help Nepal to make plans according to their game. Maharjan respected his opponents. “Bangladesh have a good side but we are level with them. Its a 50-50 game for us,” said Maharjan on the eve of the match.

“We are well prepared and very much focused to secure a semi-final berth. A lot will depend on the outcome of the first match (between Felda and Sri Lanka) of the day,” added Maharjan. Maharjan said Nepal could be without their midfielder Jagjeet Shrestha, who is nursing a minor injury.

Standings

Teams    P     W     D     L     GF    GA     PTS

Bangladesh    2    1    1    0    5    3    4

Nepal    2    1    1    0    1    0    4

Felda    2    0    2    0    1    1    2

Sri Lanka    2    0    0    2    2    5    0