Qatar and Kyrgyzstan are set to come together on Thursday in a game that could be crucial in their efforts to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
The hosts are fifth in Group A in the third round of AFC qualifying with just one point from two outings, while the visitors sit bottom of the standings without a point from their two fixtures.
Match preview
Qatar have enjoyed the most successful period in their history in recent years, including winning both the 2019 and 2023 AFC Asian Cup and making their first World Cup appearance in 2022.
Qatar received automatic qualification for the group stage due to being the hosts, the first Arab nation to host the tournament, but their elimination after just two matches made them the earliest host nation to be knocked out in World Cup history.
Following that elimination, they faced a challenging period in their subsequent matches, winning only four of their next 14 games across all competitions.
However, their performance took a significant turn for the better with an 8-1 victory over Afghanistan in their opening match of the second round of AFC qualifying, leading to a run of 13 wins, one draw, and one loss.
Having secured their place in the third qualifying round for the 2026 World Cup, Qatar would have been optimistic about their chances in a group featuring Kyrgyzstan, North Korea, the United Arab Emirates, Iran and Uzbekistan, but a disappointing start with just one draw in their first two matches has seen them have a slow start.
Despite that, they trail the automatic qualification places by just five points with eight games still to play, leaving them with plenty of opportunity to secure their place in the upcoming World Cup.
A win against Kyrgyzstan in their upcoming match could prove vital in their attempts to turn around their slow start, and they will fancy their chances against a side that has struggled in recent outings.
The visitors have lost both of their opening Group A fixtures, placing them at the bottom of the table as the only team without a point from their first matches.
Kyrgyzstan come into this game having only won four of their last 22 outings across all competitions, beating Oman and Chinese Taipei twice in the second AFC qualifying round, and Vietnam in a friendly.
However, they have demonstrated their ability to compete against much stronger opponents, losing each of their matches in the third qualifying round by just a single goal.
Team News
Despite being held to a 2-2 draw in their last game with North Korea, Qatar produced a dominant performance, and they could start with the same team in this one.
Star players Akram Afif and Almoez Ali both found the net in that game, and they are highly likely to start together in the attacking lineup.
As for the visitors, a promising performance in the narrow 3-2 defeat to Uzbekistan last time out could leave Maksim Lisitsyn opting to name a similar team for this game.
Joel Kojo and Odilzhon Abdurakhmanov scored their first goals in the third round in that defeat, and both are likely to start once again for the visitors.
Qatar possible starting lineup:
Barsham; Hassan, Salman, Mendes; Al Yazidi, Abdulsallam, Fathy, Al-Hassan, Ahmed; Afif, Ali
Kyrgyzstan possible starting lineup:
Tokotaev; Mishchenko, Brauzman, Kozubaev, Kichin, Kenzhebaev; Abdurakhmanov, Zarypbekov, Shukurov; Kojo, Uulu
We say: Qatar 3-1 Kyrgyzstan
While Kyrgyzstan have proven to be difficult opponents in their first two AFC third round qualifying fixtures, Qatar are the stronger side coming into the game and will be desperate for their first victory, leading us to believe the hosts will win.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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