Tue, 30 Nov, -0001
Kathmandu: Nepal became the first of the first round participants to book their place in the second round of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers after an emphatic 5-0 win at the Dashrath Rangasala Stadium on Saturday gave them a 7-1 aggregate victory over Timor Leste.
Nepal went into match holding a slight advantage following their 2-1 win at the same venue on Wednesday in what was technically Timor Leste's home fixture but the ‘visitors' needed just three minutes to extend their lead when Anil Gurung, who also netted Nepal's opener in the first leg, scored from the penalty spot.
Nepal couldn't add to their tally in the remainder of the first-half, nor could the Timorese find the goals that would give them a foothold back into the match.
The scoreline remained the same until the 56th minute when Bhola Silwal made it 4-1 on aggregate before Ju Manu Rai, Nepal's other first-leg scorer, added to the South Asians' tally on the hour mark.
Jagjeet Shrestha scored the fifth of the night with a minute left to play but Nepal hadn't finished there, with Sujal Sherstha rounding off the comprehensive win just 60 seconds later.
Nepal's reward for their victory is a second round clash against 2011 AFC Asian Cup quarter-finalists Jordan, with the first leg taking place in Amman on July 23 before the action shifts to the Himalayan nation for the decisive second leg five days later.