Preview: Armenia vs Kazakhstan - prediction, team news, lineups

Two sides that failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup will meet in a friendly match on Friday when Armenia host Kazakhstan.

Both teams will be viewing the fixture as crucial preparation for the UEFA Nations League, which gets underway in September.

Match preview

Armenia have never featured at a World Cup and they only managed to pick up one win in qualifying, a 2-1 victory over the Republic of Ireland thanks to goals from Eduard Spertsyan and Grant-Leon Ranos.

Eghishe Melikyan's side were beaten in the five other qualifiers they played, including a pair of 9-1 and 5-0 thrashings at the hands of Portugal.

In fact, the win over the Republic of Ireland is the only victory Melikyan has picked up since he replaced former Ajax boss John van 't Schip at the helm last year.

In their most recent game, Armenia lost 2-1 to Belarus in a friendly in March and Melikyan admitted he was "disappointed with the result", placing the blame on a "lack of experience".

Armenia have named a very inexperienced squad for this month's friendlies, with just six of their 27 players having more than 20 international caps.

Kazakhstan have also never featured at a World Cup and they finished fourth in their group, picking up a pair of wins over Liechtenstein and drawing with North Macedonia and Belgium.

The 1-1 draw with Belgium was particularly impressive given they had been thumped 6-0 by the same opposition just two months earlier, with teenager Dastan Satpayev giving Kazakhstan the lead before Hans Vanaken netted an equaliser.

It is worth noting that the 6-0 defeat occurred under former boss Ali Aliev and that things have improved under new head coach Talgat Baysufinov, who has overseen three wins, two draws and one defeat since taking charge.

In their most recent games in March, Kazakhstan beat Namibia 2-0 and Comoros 1-0 in friendlies, with Yan Vorogovskiy, Alibek Kasym and Ramazan Orazov finding the back of the net.

However, Kazakhstan have only beaten Armenia twice in eight meetings, with their last victory a 1-0 win that came all the way back in 2007.

Armenia International Friendlies form:

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Armenia form (all competitions):

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Kazakhstan International Friendlies form:

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Kazakhstan form (all competitions):

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Team News

Armenia have five players in their squad who could make their debuts and there are a further five that have only earned one cap.

Captain Kamo Hovhannisyan will provide some much-needed experience in defence and he is likely to be joined by Julio Bueno, Erik Piloyan and Nair Tiknizyan,

Kazakhstan, meanwhile, will likely be relying on 17-year-old Satpayev to lead the line.

The teenager has already been hailed as potentially the most talented footballer Kazakhstan have produced and he has agreed a deal to join Chelsea when he turns 18 in August.

Satpayev will have support from Hearts star Islam Chesnokov and Galymzhan Kenzhebek out wide, while Ramazan Orazov and Islambek Kuat are expected to start in midfield.

Armenia possible starting lineup:

Avagayan; Hovhannisyan, Bueno, Piloyan, Tiknizyan; Arutyunyan, Avanesyan; Shaghoyan, Spertsyan, Hovhannisyan; Ranos

Kazakhstan possible starting lineup:

Anarbekov, Mrynskiy, Kasym, Alip, Vorogovskiy; Orazov, Kuat; Chesnokov, Samorodov, Kenzhebek; Satpayev