Bishkek: Iran will expect to take another step towards sealing qualification when they play Kyrgyz Republic in Group A of the AFC Asian Qualifiers™ – Road to 26 on Tuesday.
Seeking a fourth consecutive and seventh overall appearance at the global showpiece, Iran holds a three-point lead at the summit, with the top two sides to qualify automatically for the Finals.
Despite a fightback from DPR Korea, Iran were deserved winners of their tie on Thursday after a dominant first half which saw them taking a 3-0 lead.
Head coach Amir Ghalenoei will want his side to avoid another nervous finish, which was sparked by Shojae Khalilzadeh’s 50th minute sending off.
“We have to be able to adapt to different situations. We managed to control the game through our substitutions and we must now shift our focus to the next game,” said Ghalenoei.
Kyrgyz Republic, appearing at this stage of the AFC Asian Qualifiers for the first time, only have three points on the board but remain in contention and will be determined to make home ground advantage count against Iran.
Maksim Lisitsyn’s lost 3-0 to United Arab Emirates on Thursday with the head coach attributing their heaviest defeat so far in the AFC Asian Qualifiers to mistakes of their own doing.
The Central Asian side were, however, a handful to their opponents in their earlier matches and will hope for a result against Iran, who were restricted to a 1-0 win when the sides met in September.
Kyrgyz Republic v IR Iran
Team Melli will be without Saman Ghoddos (injured) and Shoja’a Khalilzdeh (suspension). Mohammed Mohebbi will be doubtful and awaiting a fitness test.
Venue: Dolen Omurzakov Stadium (Bishkek)
Kick-off: 20:00 (UTC+6)
HEAD2HEAD
| Date | Competition | Score | Scorers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4th Jun 1997 | World Cup Qualifier | 7 – 0 | Farhad Majidi (2),Ali Mousavi , Ali Daei , Mehrdad Minavand , Karim Bagheri (2) |
| 9th Jun 1997 | World Cup Qualifier | 3 – 1 | Khodada Azizi (2),Karim Bagheri |
| 7th Jun 2016 | Friendly | 6 – 0 | Masoud Shojaei ,Mehdi Taremi ,Mehdi Torabi , Karim Ansarifard (2), Sardar Azmoun (1) |
| 16th Jun 2023 | CAFA Nations Cup | 5 – 1 | Mehdi Taremi (3), Sardar Aazmoun (2) |
| 5th Sep 2024 | World Cup Qualifier | 1 – 0 | Mehdi Taremi |