The bottom two teams in Group B of the AFC World Cup third-round qualifiers will meet on Tuesday evening as Palestine take on Kuwait, with both aiming to secure their first wins in the group.
The hosts are bottom of the standings with just one point from three outings, while the visitors are in fifth with two points from their three fixtures.
Match preview
© Imago
In June 2024, Palestine made history by reaching the third round of FIFA World Cup qualifiers for the first time, advancing from the second round after finishing second in a group consisting of Australia, Lebanon, and Bangladesh.
Drawn into a challenging third-round group alongside teams such as South Korea and Iraq, Palestine have struggled to make an impact in their first three matches, leaving their hopes of reaching a first-ever World Cup appearing increasingly out of reach.
Makram Daboub's men got off to a positive start in Group B as they earned a hard-fought point against South Korea, but the Lions of Canaan have suffered back-to-back defeats in the following two outings, 3-1 to Jordan and 1-0 to Iraq.
That leaves Palestine still searching for a historic first win in the third round of the AFC FIFA World Cup qualifiers, something they will aim to achieve when they face Kuwait for matchday four on Tuesday.
Also seeking to qualify for their first-ever FIFA World Cup, Kuwait advanced to the third round after finishing ahead of India and Afghanistan in Group A of the second round, a group that was dominated by Qatar.
Juan Antonio Pizzi took charge of the side in July 2024 after Rui Bento stepped down, and the new manager has failed to replicate the success of his predecessor, remaining without a win in his first three games in charge.
Kuwait began the third round with promising draws against Jordan and Iraq, two of the group's top-three sides, but suffered a disappointing 4-0 defeat to Oman in their most recent outing.
Kuwait will now aim for their first win of the group, as they hope to keep their World Cup dreams alive, against a Palestine side they have beaten in two of their last three encounters.
Team News
© Imago
Palestine will remain without the services of Mohammed Saleh for this game after he pulled out of the squad due to an injury issue.
Samer Jondi is also a doubt for their match against Kuwait as the defender was forced off in the 37th minute of their last outing against Iraq after suffering an injury.
Elsewhere, despite being defeated by Iraq last time out, a promising performance against a perceived stronger opponent could mean Daboub decides to name a similar team here.
Having avoided any injury issues in their devastating defeat to Oman, Pizzi will have a fully fit squad to choose from as he aims to bounce back against Palestine.
Legendary forward Yousef Nasser, who has scored 50 goals in 111 appearances for Kuwait, is likely to lead the line once again, though the remainder of the side could be shuffled given their heavy defeat last time out.
Palestine possible starting lineup:
Abuhammad; Al Battat, Termanini, Mahajna, Saldana; Zeidan, Kharoub, Rashid, Aldeen; Dabbagh, Ali
Kuwait possible starting lineup:
Abdulghafoor; Al Sanea, Al-Hajeri, Al Fadhli, Ghanam; Majed, Al-Enezi, Hani, Aldhefiri, Al-Harbi; Nasser
We say: Palestine 1-0 Kuwait
While Palestine sit bottom of the table after three games, they have produced a number of promising performances, and with Kuwait reeling after a 4-0 loss to Oman, we believe the hosts will win 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
