Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the World Cup 2026 qualifying match.
Reflecting on their last meeting, it can be said that Kyrgyzstan performed quite well. How long will they be able to hold off the main group favourites on home soil?
Kyrgyzstan
In Isfahan, the Kyrgyz national team narrowly lost 1:0, conceding the decisive goal in the 34th minute due to an error by Erjan Tokotaev. During that game, the Kyrgyz were quite precise, with six out of seven shots on target, though only one seemed like a real scoring opportunity. In other third-round qualifiers, they stayed competitive with their opponents, suffering a heavy defeat only in the previous round against the UAE away (0:3).
Iran
Iran achieved a narrow win over North Korea (3:2), but they created problems for themselves in the second half, nearly squandering a 3:0 lead. First, central defender Shojae Khalilzadeh was sent off, then striker Mehdi Taremi inadvertently deflected the ball into their own net. The second goal conceded also involved Iranian assistance. Finally, the North Koreans hit the woodwork. Later, Taremi missed a penalty by shooting centrally, and poor pitch conditions should not be an excuse.
Kyrgyzstan vs Iran Prediction
Iran typically achieve narrow victories (three such matches) or draw. Only against Qatar did they secure a more decisive win (4:1), but that was at home. In friendlies, the Kyrgyz side lost heavily to them (0:6, 1:5), but such outcomes are not expected in official matches. It is worth betting on Kyrgyzstan suffering a narrow defeat.
