Predictions World Cup Qualifying Asia - South Korea vs Palestine | September 5, 2024

World Cup Qualifying Asia - South Korea vs Palestine
Match Time: 05-09-2024 18:00 Thursday (GMT+7)
Football Livescore | Match Prediction & Tips
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South Korea will be looking to qualify for their 11th successive FIFA World Cup tournament when they kick off their third round of Asian qualifiers against Palestine on Thursday.

The last time they failed to qualify for the World Cup was 1982, and since then they have exited at the group stage in seven of the following tournaments, exited at the round of 16 twice, and fantastically placed fourth in 2002 when they co-hosted the tournament with Japan.

Former manager Jurgen Klinsmann, who took over from Paulo Bento at the end of the 2022 World Cup, had a difficult time in charge of South Korea and was ultimately sacked after a highly disappointing AFC Asian Cup semifinal exit to Jordan.

Hong Myong-Bo was eventually hired five months after Klinsmann's dismissal, and the new boss will be preparing for his first game in charge when they take on Palestine.

Myong-Bo's side have a favourable group in their Asian World Cup qualifiers, competing with Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman and Palestine, and will be expected to comfortably finish in the top two and directly qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

South Korea will also be expected to comprehensively beat Palestine on Thursday, a side that only narrowly progressed into this stage for the first time in their history after finishing two points above Lebanon to place in second.

Makram Daboub, who has been in charge of the team since May 2021, will already be incredibly pleased with his history-making Palestine side, and he will be hoping they can create more history by qualifying for the World Cup for the first time in their history.

The visitors were significantly beaten 5-0 by Australia in their last outing, a result that they will be looking to avoid against a similarly strong South Korea team.

Prediction: South Korea 4-0 Palestine