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Qatar will be the team to beat when Group A of the Preliminary Joint Qualification – Round 2 for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 resumes on Thursday, March 21.
Fresh from successfully defending their AFC Asian Cup title on home soil last month, Marquez Lopez’s side will start as favourites against Kuwait, with Afghanistan to play India in the other Group A tie.
Qatar, then coached by Carlos Queiroz, kicked off their bid to qualify for their first FIFA World Cup on merit with wins over India and Afghanistan respectively.
Queiroz, however, stepped down shortly after with Lopez taking charge as Qatar went on to defend their AFC Asian Cup title.
Lopez was subsequently rewarded with a contract that takes him through to 2026 but the Spaniard knows there is no room for error in Qatar’s qualification campaign.
Already three points ahead at the top, Qatar will be expected to easily advance and wins over Kuwait in their double header could well see them booking their spot early.
A win for Kuwait will take them level with Qatar, setting the stage for a thrilling battle on Thursday.
India will also be aiming for three points to keep pace at the top, with Igor Stimac’s side having kicked off their campaign with a 1-0 win over Kuwait.
That was followed by a 3-0 defeat against Qatar and ndia know they need maximum points from their double header against Afghanistan if they are to stay in the race for a top two finish which will earn them a spot in the third round of FIFA World Cup qualifying.
“Our target is to advance to the third round of the World Cup Qualifiers, and we are confident of making history. The players are extremely motivated as we have never made it to the third round ever,” said Stimac.
“We will be playing our away match against Afghanistan at an altitude of 2270 metres in Abha, Saudi Arabia. Playing at such a height requires great endurance. The players are in decent form, and need to overcome the conditions, all sorts of difficulties and find a way to manage the game in a positive manner. Defensively we need to be stable.”
Thursday
Qatar v Kuwait
Venue: Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium (Doha)
Kick-off: 21:30 (UTC+3)
Afghanistan v India
Venue: Damac Stadium (Abha)
Kick-off: 22:00(UTC+3)
