David Flower
Dailysports's expert
One of this week’s friendlies is set for Wednesday in Tajikistan’s capital, where the local national team will host Nepal. Here’s a preview of the match, along with a betting tip that offers promising odds.
Match Preview
The "Persian Lions" made a solid impression in the Asian Cup, opening the group stage with a scoreless draw against China and a narrow 0-1 loss to favorites Qatar. The crucial moment came in the final group game when a win over Lebanon earned them third place in the group and a playoff berth. In the Round of 16, Tajikistan showed their resolve by defeating the UAE in a penalty shootout, though their journey ended in the quarterfinals with a tough 0-1 loss to Jordan.
In their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, Tajikistan finished third, trailing Jordan and Saudi Arabia by five points and missing out on the next round. Across six games, they managed only two victories, both over Pakistan, which wasn’t enough to advance. Since then, they competed in the Mardeka Cup, suffering a 0-1 loss to Lebanon and later securing a win over the Philippines in the third-place game on penalties.
Nepal, on the other hand, missed out on participation in continental tournaments, falling short in qualification. The World Cup qualifiers for 2026 brought similar disappointment, as Nepal finished at the bottom of their group. In six matches, Nepal recorded five losses, scoring just two goals while conceding 20.
Overall, Nepal has been winless in their last eight games, with seven of those ending in defeat. Their last victory came in mid-October 2023, when they beat Laos 1-0 away.
Probable Lineups
- Tajikistan: Yatimov, Nazarov, Juraboev, Khanonov, Safarov, Panashanbe, Umarbaev, Shervoni, Samiev, Soirov, Kamolov
- Nepal: Chemjong, Basnet, Chand, Tamang, Chiring, Gillespie, Kawas, Limbu, Dangi, Shrestha, Bista
Match Facts and Head-to-Head
- Tajikistan lost both October fixtures in the King’s Cup to Syria (0-1) and the Philippines (0-3).
- Only one of Nepal’s last five matches hit the "Both Teams to Score" market.
- In Tajikistan’s last six matches, the "Both Teams to Score" bet has not hit even once.
Prediction
Bookmakers are confident in Tajikistan’s victory. We believe Nepal won’t be able to find the net in this match, making our suggested bet “Both Teams to Score – No” at odds of 1.60.
