Maldives vs Afghanistan Prediction

The islanders last played an official match on in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, securing a 2-1 home victory over Timor-Leste.

Here’s a look at the key stats from that fixture (Maldives vs Timor-Leste):

• Possession: 51% vs 49%;
• Corners: 3 vs 2;
• Yellow cards: 3 vs 2;
• Shots on target: 3 vs 6.

The Maldives may not be making headlines on the international stage, but they have shown they can get the better of teams ranked around them in the FIFA standings. Over their last ten friendlies, the islanders have picked up wins against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. However, when facing stronger opposition, results have gone against them-Maldives have suffered defeats to Singapore, India, and Malaysia. Across their most recent five friendlies, they average 1.2 goals scored and 1.8 conceded per match.

Afghanistan are winless in their last 14 matches across all competitions, including both official fixtures and friendlies. Over their previous 12 friendly outings, the visitors have managed just four draws while suffering eight defeats. Notably, even Nepal-who sit below Afghanistan in the FIFA rankings-failed to secure a victory against them. In their last five friendlies, Afghanistan average just 0.6 goals scored and 1.6 conceded per game.