Qatar vs Afghanistan Prediction: Qatar exited last WC in group stage

Qatar will welcome Afghanistan at Khalifa International Stadium in Game Week 1 of the FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers. Qatar hosted last world cup but were out in the first round itself. Who will come out on top after 90 minutes?

Qatar will commence their new World Cup qualifying campaign in the second round of Asian qualifiers on Thursday. This comes after their involvement in the previous tournament in 2022 as both hosts and participants. Unfortunately, their debut on the global stage did not go as desired, as they failed to make an impact in the group stage. They became the first-ever hosts to score the fewest goals in such a competition and also the first to lose all three group matches. Since that disappointing exit, the team has been actively preparing for their upcoming campaign. Carlos Queiroz took charge of the national team in February, but their recent results have been mixed. They had a disappointing performance in the CONCACAF Gold Cup and later played friendly matches against Kenya, Russia, Iraq, and Iran. In their most recent match against Iran, they suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat. Despite this setback, Qatar aims to bounce back and start their qualifying bid for the 2026 World Cup on a positive note by securing a victory in their first match to assert their dominance in the group.

Barsham; Al-Rawi, Boudiaf, Khoukhi, Ahmed; Abdurisag, Al-Haydos, Hatem, Afif; Muntari, Ali

Afghanistan, who won their first-round group last month, are determined to start the second round with a victory. This is their latest attempt to qualify for the World Cup, as they have never reached the group stage before. In October, they faced Mongolia in a crucial match that would determine their place in the second round. After winning the first leg 1-0 in Tajikistan and the second leg with another one-goal victory, they secured their progression. With newfound confidence, Afghanistan will now compete in a qualifying group alongside Qatar, India, and Kuwait, aiming for a top-two finish to continue their journey. Their next game will be against an Afghanistan side at the Khalifa International Stadium.

Hamidi; Popalzay, Hanifi, Haidary, Skandari; Husin, Shaysteh, Noor; Haydary, Sharza, Azadzoy

Qatar has a significant advantage over their opponents in terms of superior quality and international experience. Given this, they should have confidence in their ability to begin the qualifying campaign with a commanding triumph on their own turf this Thursday.