AFC Asian Qualifiers
Going into the second leg tied 1-1, Manish Dangi’s second half goal proved pivotal to send Nepal through leaving head coach Annese with plenty to smile about.
“We played very well in what was a must-win match for us,” said Annese. “I’m proud of my team and the incredible effort they put in.
“Now we will have more competitive matches and the players will have more opportunities to do better for the country and themselves.
“We had chances in both halves and maybe should have taken one of those but it’s a process and the team is learning because they are young and will have better days ahead.”
This will be Nepal’s second consecutive appearance in Round 2, with their adventure in the last edition saw them finishing fourth in the Group B behind Australia, Kuwait and Jordan.
For the upcoming Round 2, Nepa’s Group H campaign starts with an away trip to the United Arab Emirates on November 16. Bahrain and Yemen are the other teams in the group.
