DOHA: With direct qualification in the third round of the FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers on the line, hosts Qatar are set to capitalize on home advantage in a critical match against Uzbekistan at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on Thursday. A win is essential to keep their hopes of automatic qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup alive. The two-time AFC Asian Cup champions are currently on four points, six behind Iran and Uzbekistan, with the qualifying campaign reaching the halfway stage. Qatar coach Marquez Lopez who led Qatar to the AFC Asian Cup 2023 title on home soil in February, has recalled Mohammed Muntari, who makes a return after a long injury layoff, with Akram Afif and Almoez Ali are also part of a squad who desperately need a win to keep their hopes of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup on merit for the first time alive. The task is indeed challenging, especially against an upbeat Uzbekistan side packed with some top players. Spaniard Lopez, while speaking to the media on eve of the match on Wednesday, made no bones of the fact that the team needs to overcome its struggles and in a dramatic way. “We have conceded 10 goals in the qualifiers, and injuries have often made things difficult. Defensively, we don’t have many options, and key players getting injured only adds to the challenge,” said Lopez. “But we are ready for the match, and we need to give 200%. Players are human, and mistakes happen—football can be unforgiving. We have faced a lot of challenges while preparing the squad given the injuries. Our goal is to win and secure the three points that will be key to our hopes of qualification. The players and everyone involved are aware of this, and we hope everything goes in our favor. We will fight until the last breath to win,” stressed Lopez. Uzbekistan, however, will be extremely tough opponents as they have been thriving in the AFC Asian Qualifiers with only Iran being able to take points off them so far. Lopez said, “They are a tough team which doesn’t concede many goals and consistently plays with the same group. They have excellent players, especially their attacking trio. Yet, we will try to impose our style. We have studied the opposition closely and trained hard throughout the past week. We shall look to exploit their weaknesses. It will be a challenging match.” Uzbekistan are seeking a first-ever appearance at the FIFA World Cup, and the Central Asian side will fancy their chances of walking away with the three points given their form and fitness.