Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers match.
North Macedonia are actively pursuing second place in Group J, which would secure them a spot in the play-off stage. Their next fixture is against Kazakhstan — their main rival among the remaining squads in the group.
Kazakhstan
The qualification campaign has not gone well for Kazakhstan. Although Kazakhstan managed a win over Liechtenstein, that result offers little reason for optimism. Kazakhstan struggled in a 1:3 defeat to Wales and were comfortably beaten 1:4 in a friendly against Belarus. Defensive frailty remains their biggest concern. Even Liechtenstein managed to register two shots on target — by contrast, Kazakhstan failed to produce a single effort on goal in their match against North Macedonia.
North Macedonia
North Macedonia are in excellent form. They remain unbeaten after three rounds of qualification and even took a point off top-ranked Belgium with a 1:1 draw. A major boost for the squad comes with the return of Bojan Miovski, who had picked up an injury in late May but has recovered in time for this match. Miovski is a key figure in the squad, having contributed to three goals (2+1) in the opening two fixtures.
Kazakhstan vs North Macedonia Prediction
At this stage, every point is invaluable, and there is no room for error. North Macedonia travel to Kazakhstan as favourites and are expected to return with all three points — especially given the recent struggles of Kazakhstan.
