Kenley Ward
Dailysports's expert
On Tuesday, June 10, in the final round of the Third Stage of AFC qualification for the 2026 World Cup, South Korea will host Kuwait. I’m backing a bet on goals in this clash.
Key facts and head-to-head history
- South Korea are unbeaten in their last 13 matches.
- Kuwait have won just 1 of their last 17 matches across all competitions.
- South Korea have conceded at least one goal in 5 of their last 6 matches.
- Across 18 meetings between these sides, South Korea lead the win count 12:3.
Match preview
South Korea are one of Asia’s powerhouses, so it’s no surprise that this final matchday is essentially a formality for them. The "Asian Tigers" have already clinched their World Cup berth, having collected 19 points. This will be South Korea’s 13th appearance at the global showpiece.
In the previous round, South Korea defeated Iraq 2-0 away, playing with a man advantage from the 26th minute. Before that, the "Red Devils" drew three times in a row, all by a 1-1 scoreline, against Jordan, Oman, and Palestine. These results, however, never threatened South Korea’s grip atop the group.
As for Kuwait, they came into this group as one of the underdogs and have lived up to that billing throughout qualification. Juan Antonio Pizzi’s side have picked up just 5 points and sit bottom of the standings. Kuwait have no chance, not even mathematically, of climbing higher.
In the third qualifying stage, Kuwait have yet to win a single match. All 5 of their points have come from draws. In their last outing, Kuwait lost 0-2 to Palestine, suffered a 0-1 defeat to Oman before that, and drew 2-2 with Iraq.
Probable lineups
- South Korea: Jo; T. Lee, Kwon, Cho, Seol; Park, I. Hwang; H. Hwang, J. Lee, K. Lee; Oh
- Kuwait: Al-Rashidi; Ghanem, Al-Enezi, Al-Hajeri, Dosari; Al-Defiri, Hani; Majed, Al-Mutar, Daham; Nasser
South Korea vs Kuwait prediction
There’s no pressure on either side, as tournament motivation is gone. I expect an open game, so I’m backing both teams to score.
