Australia and Iraq face off in their first Asia World Cup Qualifier on Thursday.

The two sides met during the 2014 qualifiers when Australia booked a spot in the World Cup while Iraq finished dead last in its group with only five points from eight games. In that round, Iraq lost both games to Australia by one goal.

Iraq has not qualified for a World Cup since 1986 when it finished 23rd and bottomed out in the group stage with a win.

Australia has qualified for four World Cups in its history but has only managed to get out of the group stage on one occasion. The team had its worst outing in the tournament two summers ago when it finished fourth in a group that included the Netherlands, Chile and Spain. The team lost every single game.

The teams have met nine times in their history with Australia enjoying a decisive advantage of six wins, two defeats and only one draw between the two sides. Australia has won the last three affairs dating back to 2008.

Prediction

Australia is likely the favorite in this encounter and should cruise to a 1-0 win at home.

Start Time, Date, Location

Australia and Iraq kick off at 6:30 a.m. EDT on Thursday.

Live Stream and TV Info

The match between Australia and Iraq will be broadcast on via the ESPN3 App.