India to Play Nepal in FIFA World Cup 2018 Qualifiers
The matches would be held on a home and away format with India first playing their home match at the Indira Gandhi Athletics Stadium at Sajusarai in Guwahati on March 12. The return leg is slated for March 17.
India have been drawn to play Nepal in the preliminary joint qualification round 1 for the 2018 FIFA World Cup scheduled to be held in Russia.
The draw was held on Tuesday at the AFC Headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.
The matches would be held on a home and away format with India first playing their home match at the Indira Gandhi Athletics Stadium at Sajusarai in Guwahati on March 12. The return leg is slated for March 17.
The match will be the first one for National Coach Stephen Constantine since he took over the job as Indian Senior Team's National Coach for the second time.
Constantine said that it will be a difficult game.
"It will be a very difficult game for us. Nepal are a good side. I think both Teams have respect for each other it won't be easy," he said.
"I am looking forward to going back to Nepal. It has been a long time since I have been in the Himalayan Kingdom. But this time, it will be for pure business."
As per the January, 2015 FIFA Rankings, India are ranked at 171 while Nepal are presently at 186. The last time the two teams met in November 2013, India defeated Nepal 2-0 at the Kanchenjunga Stadium in Siliguri.