Nepal's national football team have arrived in Sydney ahead of their joint World Cup and Asian Cup qualifier against Australia in Canberra next week.
The players, led by captain Kiran Chemjong, were welcomed at Sydney's International Airport this morning by members of the local Nepali community this morning.
Currently ranked 161 in the latest FIFA world rankings, Nepal will play against the Socceroos on 10th October at GIO Stadium in Canberra.
"We're happy, and we are really lucky to be able to play with a strong team like Australia and someone who's already played the World Cup," Chemjong told SBS Nepali after landing at Sydney Airport.
Click on the link below to listen to our conversation with Nepal's captain, head coach and members of Australia's Nepali community organisations.
He says the team is very excited to play in Australia where almost ten thousand supporters are expected to see them play against the Socceroos next week.
"We've had reports that already more than 5,000 Nepalis living in Australia have purchased the tickets so we are really excited."
"We'll try our best and make the fans happy," he said.
Similarly, head coach of the Nepali team, Johan Kalin, says the Australian team is very strong and is an interesting challenge where the team will really need to step up to the challenge.
"We are here!": Nepali National Football Team arrives in Sydney Source: Sunita Pokharel
"We are going to do our best for 90/95 minutes, and then see we'll see where it takes us," he said.
Kalin says it is important for the team to perform well rather than set a target.
"We hope the good performance will lead to a good result."
Kalin thinks he might have something up the sleeve to stun the Socceroos but kept the details to himself when quizzed by SBS Nepali.
"It's my job to have a (proper) strategy and we will watch Australia and come up with a plan which can give us some chance," he said.
He suggested that the first game (7 - nil) against Kuwait dented the Nepali confidence but winning in their second game with Chinese Taipei (2-nil) instilled some of it back.
"It was important to come back after that first game and play our own game."
Kalin is also looking forward to playing the home games back in Nepal as the only Football stadium in the country which is being rebuilt after the is expected to be operating next month. 
According to team manager Madhusudan Upadhyay, arrangements have been made for the Nepali team to stay in a local 'sports academy' in Sydney for six days.
Source: Sunita Pokharel
"We have been booked to stay at the academy from 3rd to 8th where every little detail have been catered for..."
"Furthermore, the Nepali community living here have been very kind and have gone over and beyond to make our stay as comfortable as it can be. On behalf of Nepal, we would like to thank them all," he said.
Deepak Khadka, Honorary Consul General of Nepal for the state of New South Wales, who arrived at the airport to welcome the Nepali team, stressed that Nepalis should be proud of their team who have come to Australia.
"This is the first time Nepal is playing against a team like Australia and we should take pride of that fact," he said.
Similarly, Dev Gurung, vice president of the Non-Residential Nepalese Association of Australia (NRNAA), said he hopes the Nepali team to perform well.
Members of the local Nepalese community, who had reached the airport for the first time, were excited to see the competition against the Nepali national team in Australia for the first time.
