1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)

Listed below are the dates and results for the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the Asian zone (AFC). For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification.

1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)
Tournament details
Teams36 (from 1 confederation)
Tournament statistics
Top scorer(s) Karim Bagheri
(19 goals)

Format

A total of 36 teams entered the competition. The Asian zone was allocated 3.5 places (out of 32) in the final tournament.

There were three rounds of play:

  • First round: The 36 teams were divided into 10 groups of 3 or 4 teams each. The teams played against each other twice, except in Group 10, where the teams played against each other once. The group winners would advance to the final round.
  • Final round: The 10 teams were divided into 2 groups of 5 teams. The teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winners would qualify. The runners-up would advance to the AFC play-off.
  • Play-off: The two teams played against each other once in Malaysia. The winner would qualify. The loser would advance to the AFC–OFC intercontinental play-offs.

First round
Main article: 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC First Round
Key to colours in group tables
Group winners qualify for the Final round

Group 1
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Saudi Arabia 6 5 1 0 18 1 +17 16
 Malaysia 6 3 2 1 5 3 +2 11
 Chinese Taipei 6 1 1 4 4 13 −9 4
 Bangladesh 6 1 0 5 4 14 −10 3
Source: RSSSF

Group 2
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Iran 6 5 1 0 39 3 +36 16
 Syria 6 3 1 2 30 5 +25 10
 Kyrgyzstan 6 3 0 3 12 14 −2 9
 Maldives 6 0 0 6 0 59 −59 0
Source: RSSSF

Group 3
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 United Arab Emirates 4 3 1 0 7 1 +6 10
 Jordan 4 1 1 2 4 4 0 4
 Bahrain 4 1 0 3 3 9 −6 3
Source: RSSSF

Group 4
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Japan 6 5 1 0 31 1 +30 16
 Oman 6 4 1 1 14 2 +12 13
 Macau 6 1 1 4 3 28 −25 4
   Nepal 6 0 1 5 2 19 −17 1
Source: RSSSF

Group 5
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Uzbekistan 6 5 1 0 20 3 +17 16
 Yemen 6 2 2 2 10 7 +3 8
 Indonesia 6 1 4 1 11 6 +5 7
 Cambodia 6 0 1 5 2 27 −25 1
Source: RSSSF

Group 6
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 South Korea 4 3 1 0 9 1 +8 10
 Thailand 4 1 1 2 5 6 −1 4
 Hong Kong 4 1 0 3 3 10 −7 3
Source: RSSSF

Group 7
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Kuwait 4 4 0 0 10 1 +9 12
 Lebanon 4 1 1 2 4 7 −3 4
 Singapore 4 0 1 3 2 8 −6 1
Source: RSSSF

Group 8
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 China PR 6 5 1 0 13 2 +11 16
 Tajikistan 6 4 1 1 15 2 +13 13
 Turkmenistan 6 2 0 4 8 13 −5 6
 Vietnam 6 0 0 6 2 21 −19 0
Source: RSSSF

Group 9
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Kazakhstan 4 4 0 0 15 2 +13 12
 Iraq 4 2 0 2 14 8 +6 6
 Pakistan 4 0 0 4 3 22 −19 0
Source: RSSSF

Group 10
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Qatar 3 3 0 0 14 0 +14 9
 Sri Lanka 3 1 1 1 4 4 0 4
 India 3 1 1 1 3 7 −4 4
 Philippines 3 0 0 3 0 10 −10 0
Source: RSSSF

Final round
Key to colours in group tables
Group winners qualify for the 1998 FIFA World Cup
Runners-up advance to the AFC play off

Group A
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Saudi Arabia 8 4 2 2 8 6 +2 14
 Iran 8 3 3 2 13 8 +5 12
 China PR 8 3 2 3 11 14 −3 11
 Qatar 8 3 1 4 7 10 −3 10
 Kuwait 8 2 2 4 7 8 −1 8
Source: RSSSF
China PR 2–4 Iran
Fan Zhiyi  44' (pen.)
Li Ming  54'		 (report) Bagheri  61' (pen.)
Mahdavikia  67', 73'
Roosta  86'
Attendance: 31,000
Referee: Park Hae Yong (South Korea)
Saudi Arabia 2–1 Kuwait
Mehalel  43'
Al Thuniyan  55'		 (report) Abdulaziz  18'
Attendance: 21,500
Iran 1–1 Saudi Arabia
Bagheri  64' (report) Al Sharani  32'
Attendance: 120,000
Qatar 0–2 Kuwait
(report) Al Huwaidi  16'
Abdulaziz  88'
Attendance: 10,000
Qatar 1–1 China PR
Nasir Khamees  10' (report) Hao Haidong  67'
Attendance: 9,000
Referee: Mahmoud Nurilddin (Iraq)
Kuwait 1–1 Iran
Al Huwaidi  20' (report) Bagheri  90'
Attendance: 25,000
Referee: Jimdamai Russamee (Thailand)
China PR 1–0 Saudi Arabia
Zhang Enhua  69' (report)
Attendance: 30,000
Iran 3–0 Qatar
Daei  31'
Bagheri  42', 56'		 (report)
Attendance: 70,000
Referee: Sidi Magassa (Mali)
Kuwait 1–2 China PR
Al Huwaidi  24' (report) Hao Haidong  3'
Gao Feng  89'
Attendance: 25,000
Saudi Arabia 1–0 Qatar
Mehalel  66' (report)
Attendance: 15,000
Kuwait 2–1 Saudi Arabia
Abdulaziz  48'
Mubarak  67'		 (report) Al Muwallid  31'
Attendance: 15,000
Iran 4–1 China PR
Mansourian  2'
Roosta  44'
Bagheri  69'
Ali Daei  73'		 (report) Mao Yijun  87'
Attendance: 100,000
Referee: Ahmad Nabil Ayad (Lebanon)
Saudi Arabia 1–0 Iran
Al Muwallid  88' (report)
Attendance: 55,000
Kuwait 0–1 Qatar
(report) Al Noobi  10'
Attendance: 18,000
Referee: Nazri Abdullah Mohamed (Malaysia)
China PR 2–3 Qatar
Gao Feng  19'
Fan Zhiyi  80'		 (report) Al Naemi  44'
Al-Enazi  54'
Al Kuwari  60'
Attendance: 35,000
Referee: Santhan Nagalingam (Singapore)
Iran 0–0 Kuwait
(report)
Attendance: 100,000
Saudi Arabia 1–1 China PR
Al-Muwallid  4' (report) Hao Haidong  10'
Attendance: 70,000
Qatar 2–0 Iran
Al-Enazi  38', 81' (report)
Attendance: 20,000

Group B
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 South Korea 8 6 1 1 19 7 +12 19
 Japan 8 3 4 1 17 9 +8 13
 United Arab Emirates 8 2 3 3 9 12 −3 9
 Uzbekistan 8 1 3 4 13 18 −5 6
 Kazakhstan 8 1 3 4 7 19 −12 6
Source: RSSSF
South Korea 3–0 Kazakhstan
Choi Yong-soo  24', 67', 74' Report
Attendance: 41,219
Referee: Santhan Nagalingam (Singapore)
Japan 6–3 Uzbekistan
Miura  4' (pen.), 40', 64', 80'
Nakata  40'
Jo  44'		 Report Shatskikh  56', 77'
Fyodorov  69' (pen.)
Attendance: 54,328
South Korea 2–1 Uzbekistan
Choi Yong-soo  15'
Lee Sang-yoon  87'		 Report Shatskikh  74'
Attendance: 70,000
Referee: Wei Jihong (China)
United Arab Emirates 4–0 Kazakhstan
Ali  20'
Obaid  48'
Zuhair Bakheet  75'
Mubarak  85'		 Report
Attendance: 15,000
United Arab Emirates 0–0 Japan
Report
Attendance: 40,000
Referee: Nazri Abdullah Mohamed (Malaysia)
Kazakhstan 1–1 Uzbekistan
Baltiyev  84' Report Shatskikh  85'
Attendance: 12,000
Referee: Ahmad Nabil Ayad (Lebanon)
Uzbekistan 2–3 United Arab Emirates
Shirshov  10'
Bazarov  90'		 Report Zuhair Bakheet  51'
Alabadla  60'
Adnan Al Talyani  85'
Attendance: 50,000
Referee: Jalal Moradi (Iran)
Japan 1–2 South Korea
Yamaguchi  67' Report Seo Jung-won  83'
Lee Min-sung  86'
Attendance: 56,704
Referee: Saad Mane (Kuwait)
Kazakhstan 1–1 Japan
Zubarev  90+2' Report Akita  23'
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Taj Addin Fares (Syria)
Uzbekistan 1–1 Japan
Kambaraliev  30' Report Lopes  89'
Attendance: 54,000
Referee: Sultan Mujalli Al Aalaq (Bahrain)
Kazakhstan 1–1 South Korea
Yevteyev  50' Report Choi Yong-soo  5'
Attendance: 15,000
Referee: Omar Abu Loom (Jordan)
Uzbekistan 1–5 South Korea
Fedorov  61' (pen.) Report Choi Yong-soo  19', 41'
Yoo Sang-chul  38'
Ko Jeong-woon  57'
Kim Do-hoon  70'
Attendance: 38,000
Referee: Abdul Khudheir Abdul Hussein (Iraq)
Kazakhstan 3–0 United Arab Emirates
Sparyshev  55'
Yevteyev  64'
Yurist  75'		 Report
Attendance: 18,000
Referee: Nik Ahmad Haji Yaakub (Malaysia)
Uzbekistan 4–0 Kazakhstan
Shkvyrin  19', 33'
Fedorov  44'
Kasimov  71'		 Report
Attendance: 25,000
Referee: Hassan Al Ajmi (Oman)
Japan 1–1 United Arab Emirates
Lopes  4' Report Mubarak  37'
Attendance: 56,000
South Korea 0–2 Japan
Report Nanami  2'
Lopes  37'
Attendance: 75,000
United Arab Emirates 0–0 Uzbekistan
Report
Attendance: 30,000
Referee: Khaled Dalu (Syria)
Japan 5–1 Kazakhstan
Akita  11'
Nakata  15'
Nakayama  44'
Ihara  66'
Takagi  88'		 Report Yevteyev  73'
Attendance: 56,032

Play-off
  • The play-off was played over a single leg at a neutral venue.
  • Extra time was played using the golden goal rule.
Iran 2–3 (a.e.t.) Japan
Azizi  46'
Daei  58'		 report (FIFA)
report (Japanese)		 Nakayama  39'
Jo  75'
Okano  118'
Attendance: 22,000

Inter-confederation play-offs
Main article: 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC–OFC play-off)
Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Iran  (a) 3–3  Australia 1–1 2–2

Qualified teams

The following four teams from AFC qualified for the final tournament.

Team Qualified as Qualified on Previous appearances in FIFA World Cup1
 Saudi ArabiaFinal Round Group A winners12 November 19971 (1994)
 South KoreaFinal Round Group B winners18 October 19974 (1954, 1986, 1990, 1994)
 JapanPlay-off winners16 November 19970 (debut)
 IranAFC–OFC play-off winners29 November 19971 (1978)
1 Bold indicates champions for that year. Italic indicates hosts for that year.

Goalscorers
19 goals
14 goals
9 goals
8 goals
7 goals
6 goals
5 goals
4 goals
3 goals
2 goals
1 goal
1 own goal

Notes
  1. FIFA report made a mistake here, the scorer is Ma Mingyu.
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