Malaysia and Kyrgyzstan will both be hoping to make positive starts to their 2026 World Cup qualification campaigns when they meet in Group D on Thursday.

These two nations have only ever met once before, which was when Kyrgyzstan ran out 1-0 winners in a friendly match in October 2018.

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Malaysia have never qualified for a World Cup in their entire history, but despite missing out on competing in Qatar last year, they enjoyed their most successful qualification campaign with four wins and four defeats helping them finish third in Group G.

The Malayan Tigers will be competing in Qatar in the New Year, though, having qualified for the Asian Cup for the first time since 1980. Malaysia did compete at the 2007 Asian Cup, but they automatically qualified as co-hosts before going on to lose all three of their group games.

With the upcoming World Cup in North America set to be expanded to 48 teams, Asia will benefit from having eight guaranteed qualification spots, meaning the top two from each group will advance to the next stage.

As such, Kim Pan-gon's side will believe that they have a great chance of making it having been drawn alongside Oman, Kyrgyzstan and Chinese Taipei in one of the weaker looking groups.

Since taking over as manager in January 2022, former Hong Kong boss Pan-gon has undoubtedly improved Malaysia, winning 16 of his 25 games in charge.

Another victory against Kyrgyzstan on Thursday would put them in an excellent position from the outset in terms of their quest to reach a World Cup for the first time in their history.

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Likewise, Kyrgyzstan have never qualified for a World Cup either, although they have only been competing as an independent nation since 1992 following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The White Falcons also finished third in their group in their attempts to reach the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, with three wins, one draw and four defeats seeing them sit behind Japan and Tajikistan in Group F.

Having made their maiden Asian Cup appearance in United Arab Emirates in 2019, when they lost 3-2 after extra-time to the hosts in the first knockout round, Stefan Tarkovic's side will compete in Qatar in the New Year having qualified for Asia's major tournament for the second successive time.

With four defeats from their last five games, Tarkovic - who previously managed Slovakia - would have liked his team's form to have been better upon their trip to Malaysia in midweek, but he will still expect his side to claim one of the top two spots in Group D and advance to the next round.

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Malaysia will have to compete without Azam Azmi, who has withdrawn from the squad after picking up an injury in recent days. All except three of Tarkovic's squad compete domestically in Malaysia.

With Faisal Halim, Safawi Rasid and Akhyar Rashid all in double figures in terms of goals scored for their country, Tarkovic will be confident regarding his side's attacking firepower, while captain Dion Cools and vice-captain Matthew Davies will be tasked with leading their side from the back.

Unlike their forthcoming opponents, Kyrgyzstan's players compete all over the world at club level, with their star forward Mirlan Murzayev playing for Hanoi in Vietnam.

Murzayev is Kyrgyztan's all-time record goalscorer with 16 goals, while he is also their joint-record appearance holder alongside defender Kayrat Zhyrgalbek Uulu with 59 caps to their name. Both will expect to add to that tally in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.

Malaysia possible starting lineup:
Hazmi; Davies, Tan, Cools, Corbin-Ong; Endrick, Gan; Aiman, Halim; Rasid, Lok

Kyrgyzstan possible starting lineup:
Tokotayev; Zhyrgalbek, Kozubaev, Akmatov, Kichin; Atabayev, Duyshobekov; Musabekov, Shukurov, Alykulov; Murzayev

We say: Malaysia 1-1 Kyrgyzstan

With these two sides both likely to have their sights set on finishing second behind Oman in Group D, this could be a hugely competitive clash as they look to qualify for a World Cup for the first time in their histories.

Malaysia head into the match in better form and will have home advantage on their side, but Kyrgyzstan are ranked 40 places higher in FIFA's world rankings, so we expect them to be able to avoid defeat and build from there.

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