KATHMANDU: The ACC U-19 Asia Cup begins today in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), featuring a riveting clash between Nepal and Pakistan’s youth teams.

In Group A, Nepal is set to challenge Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan.

Securing victories against these formidable opponents is crucial for Nepal to progress to the second round.

To achieve this, Nepal’s youth team must triumph over the young squads of Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan.

The most significant hurdle comes on Friday at 11:15 am, as Nepal faces off against Pakistan in what is anticipated to be a pivotal match.

Meanwhile, Group B includes hosts UAE, Japan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.

In the quest to reach the semi-finals, the top two teams from each group will advance.

The Nepali team nurtures dreams of clinching the Asia Cup title, with Head Coach Jagat Tamata expressing confidence in achieving excellent results through stellar gameplay.

Nepal’s team, having secured the ACC U-19 Premier Cup title in Malaysia just a month ago, earned their ticket to the Asia Cup.

This tournament is regarded as crucial preparation for the upcoming ICC U-19 World Cup in South Africa, scheduled a month later.

Following today’s match with Pakistan, Nepal is scheduled to face Afghanistan on December 10 and India on December 12.

The ongoing matches between Afghanistan and India are part of the intense Group A competition.

Post-group stage matches, the semi-finals are slated for November 29, leading up to the grand final on January 1.

U-19 Nepali Team: Dev Khanal (Captain), Arjun Kumal, Akash Tripathi, Deepak Dumre, Hemanta Dhami, Gulshan Jha, Deepesh Kandel, Bishal Bikram KC, Subhash Bhandari, Deepak Bohara, Uttam Thapamagar, Bipin Rawal, Tilak Rajbhandari, Akash Chand and Deepak Bohara.