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Syria and North Korea lock horns at the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium in Jeddah on Thursday in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Ranked 92nd in the world, Syria also have their sights on the 2027 Asian Cup, having already qualified for next year's showpiece in Qatar.
The Qasioun Eagles have been drawn alongside Uzbekistan, Australia and India in a tough-looking group at the championship, set to kick-off in January.
Héctor Cúper's side have endured a difficult 2023 so far, winning only two of their six games this year, all being friendlies. The first was a 3-1 win over Thailand in March, and then a slender 1-0 victory against China in September.
Now for this month's double World Cup qualifying matches against North Korea and Japan, Cuper has called up 23 players, including prolific striker, Omar Khribin. The UAE-based forward has scored 21 goals in 54 games for Syria.
Omar Al Somah, who has struck 20 times from 38 appearances, has also been included in the squad.
North Korea, though, play for the first time in 2023. The Chollima withdrew from the 2023 Asian Cup qualifiers due to safety concerns after five games, thereby missing out on qualification.
Syria vs North Korea Head-To-Head and Key Numbers
- There have been nine clashes between the sides before, with Syria winning thrice over North Korea and losing on two occasions
- North Korea's last win over Syria came in September 1980 when they pulled off a 2-1 victory in the AFC Asian Cup
- Syria and North Korea meet for the first time since July 2019, when the former won 5-2 in the AIFF Intercontinental Cup
- In six international games this year, Syria have won twice and lost thrice, including a 2-1 defeat to Kuwait in October
Syria vs North Korea Prediction
Syria, ranked 23 places above North Korea, boast a good attacking unit that can cause trouble to any defense on its day. North Korea don't have any gametime under their belt this year and don't look like they have the quality to match their Middle Eastern rivals either.
Prediction: Syria 2-0 North Korea
Syria vs North Korea Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Result: Syria
Tip 2 - Goals over/under 2.5: Under 2.5
Tip 3 - Both teams to score: No
Tip 4 - Omar Khribin to score anytime: Yes
