Two sides at opposite ends of the AFC FIFA World Cup qualifying Group B table come together on Thursday afternoon when Kuwait host group-leaders South Korea.
The hosts are fifth in the table with three points from four games, while the visitors are top of the standings with 10 points from their four outings.
Match preview
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Kuwait, aiming for their first FIFA World Cup qualification since their sole appearance in 1982 when they finished fourth in their group, have faced a challenging start in the third round of qualifying.
They came from behind to secure a confidence-boosting 1-1 draw with Jordan in their first match, thanks to a 92nd minute equaliser from Yousef Nasser, and recorded a 0-0 draw with Iraq on matchday two.
However, that match marked the start of a turbulent period, as the Kuwait Football Association board resigned following chaotic scenes where fans endured extreme heat and some ticket holders were denied entry.
Their next result in the following international break saw Kuwait humiliatingly lose 4-0 to Oman, before twice squandering a lead to eventually draw 2-2 with Palestine in their last outing.
Now aiming for their first win of the group as they look to climb up the table to keep their World Cup dreams alive, Kuwait will face the high-flying South Korea on Thursday.
The visitors have qualified for each of the past 10 editions of the FIFA World Cup, including co-hosting the 2002 edition alongside Japan as they went on to impressively place fourth, their best result in the history of the tournament.
They look on course to continue their record of qualifying for the competition as they currently sit comfortably top of the Group B table with 10 points from their four games, while they are also the only side yet to be beaten in the group.
With three wins against Oman, Jordan, and Iraq, plus a draw with Palestine, they have had an impressive start to their qualification campaign, extending their unbeaten streak to eight matches across all competitions heading into this match.
Myung Bo Hong's side will now aim to continue their unbeaten start to their third round qualifying campaign as they hope to secure their place in the 2026 World Cup at the earliest point possible.
Team News
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After bouncing back from the 4-0 defeat to Oman with a positive performance in a 2-2 draw with Palestine last time out, Juan Antonio Pizzi could opt to name a similar side here.
Captain Nasser is undoubtedly Kuwait's star player, having scored all three of their goals in Group B thus far, and the striker is certain to start here.
As for South Korea, star player Heung-min Son was absent from their two matches against Jordan and Iraq due to injury, but the forward is back in the squad for these matches and is likely to start here.
Elsewhere, the remainder of the squad that started the 3-2 victory against Iraq in their last outing could feature here, with the exception of Son likely to come into the starting 11.
Kuwait possible starting lineup:
Abdulghafoor; Al-Dosary, Al-Hajeri, Ibrahim, Ghanam; Majed, Aldhefiri, Hani, Al-Enezi; Mohammed, Nasser
South Korea possible starting lineup:
Hyeon-woo; Young-woo, Yu-min, Min-jae, Myeong-jae; In-Beom, Park; Kang-in, Jae-sung, Jun-Ho; Se-hun
We say: Kuwait 0-3 South Korea
South Korea are undoubtedly the stronger side heading into this match, and we expect the visitors to secure a comfortable victory in this one.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ellis Stevens
Iran
Kyrgyzstan
North Korea
Qatar
UAE
Uzbekistan
Iraq
Jordan
Kuwait
Oman
Palestine
South Korea
Australia
Bahrain
China
Indonesia
Japan
Saudi Arabia
