Qatar vs Afghanistan Match Analysis and Prediction

Qatar vs Afghanistan Match Analysis & Prediction

Qatar

16/11/2023 6:45 pm

Afghanistan

by Vincent

11 months ago 0 95

DISCLAIMER: All odds are quoted at time the prediction went live. Check the sports book for updated odds

Qatar and Afghanistan will both kick off their 2026 World Cup qualifying second-round campaigns on Thursday, when they meet at the Khalifa International Stadium.

Goals Over 4.5: Yes

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BTTS: No

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Handicap Afghanistan (+4.5):Yes

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The hosts will enter qualifying at this stage, while their visitors have already navigated their way through the first round to reach this stage.

Qatar will kick off their new World Cup qualifying campaign in the second round of Asian qualifiers on Thursday, after hosting and featuring in the previous tournament in 2022.

In their first-ever appearance on the global stage, Qatar failed to make an impact in the group stage, becoming the first-ever hosts to score the fewest goals in a tournament of its kind, as well as the first hosts to lose all three of their group matches.

They have also been busy in the year since that exit, and Carlos Queiroz took charge of the national team in February, beginning with an unsuccessful CONCACAF Gold Cup campaign, before Qatar featured in four international friendlies ahead of the beginning of their latest qualifying bid.

After suffering a defeat to Kenya and playing out draws with Russia and Iraq, the Maroons were most recently in action at home to Iran last mont, and they suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat despite the game remaining level until after the hour mark.

Having failed to build a degree of momentum in their preparations, Qatar will now enter qualifying for the 2026 World Cup with the aim of bouncing back and beginning with a victory to establish their dominance in the section.

They meet an Afghanistan side who will also fight to kick off with a win in the second-round group, having kicked off their latest World Cup qualifying bid with an aggregate win in the first round last month.

Having not reached a World Cup group stage in their history, Afghanistan began their latest campaign in the first round in October, having previously not won any competition since a friendly victory in March 2022.

The Lions met Mongolia in October with a place in the second-round group at stake, and they got the advantage heading into the second leg with a 1-0 victory in Tajikistan, through Jabar Sharza’s goal on the hour mark, before sealing their progression with another one-goal success as Farshad Noor found the back of the net 19 minutes from time in the reverse leg.

Qatar vs. Afghanistan Head to head

Qatar have won each of the two previous meetings between these two teams.

05/09/2019

Qatar

6

Afghanistan

0

AFC World Cup Qualifiers
19/11/2019

Afghanistan

0

Qatar

1

AFC World Cup Qualifiers
16/11/2023

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A
16/11/2023

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A
16/11/2023

Qatar

N/A

Afghanistan

N/A

AFC World Cup Qualifiers

Qatar Team News

Al-Duhail’s Almoez Ali will likely spearhead the Qatar attack have already scored 42 international goals in 93 caps at the age of 27 years, with Mohammed Muntari likely to join him up front from the outset.

In support of them, Akram Afif is another danger man having scored 26 goals in 94 caps and will look to cause problems from the left flank.

Qatar's Last 5 Matches

09/07/2023

Panama

4

Qatar

0

Concacaf Gold Cup
07/09/2023

Qatar

1

Kenya

2

Friendlies
12/09/2023

Qatar

1

Russia

1

Friendlies
13/10/2023

Qatar

(P)0

Iraq

0

Friendlies
17/10/2023

Qatar

0

IR Iran

4

Friendlies

Afghanistan Team News

Afghanistan should deploy their preferred 4-3-3 formation, with Farshad Noor set to return to the midfield from the ouset after scoring the winning goal off the bench in their second 1-0 win over Mongolia.

He will likely join Noor Husin and Faysal Shayesteh in midfield, although Rahmat Akbari does also have a claim for s starting spot after being given the nod from the outset last time out.