1980 AFC Asian Cup qualification
This 1980 AFC Asian Cup qualification phase started in December 1978 while other qualification matches took place in early 1979. A total of 18 teams participated. Eight teams from the top two of each group advance to the final tournament, joining hosts Kuwait and defending champions Iran.
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 25 December 1978 – 14 May 1979 |
| Teams | 17 (from 1 confederation) |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 31 |
| Goals scored | 91 (2.94 per match) |
| AFC Asian Qualifiers |
|---|
Groups
| Group 1 | Group 2 | Group 3 | Group 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
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Qualification
Group 1
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Syria |
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 3 | 1980 AFC Asian Cup |
 United Arab Emirates |
2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
 Lebanon |
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 1 | |
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Bahrain |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Withdrawn[lower-alpha 1] |
- All matches played in the United Arab Emirates.
| United Arab Emirates | 0–0 | Lebanon |
|---|---|---|
| Syria | 1–1[lower-alpha 1] Cancelled | Bahrain |
|---|---|---|
- In the 17 November match between Syria and Bahrain, the referee awarded a penalty to Bahrain. The Syrian head coach entered the pitch, threatening the referee, who stopped the match in the 81st minute. The committee initially awarded the match 3–0 in favour of Bahrain, but Syria threatened to withdraw; the committee adjusted its decision to a replay of the match on 25 November, but then Bahrain withdrew. All matches involving Bahrain were annulled.[1]
Group 2
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Qatar |
4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 2 | +8 | 7 | 1980 AFC Asian Cup |
 Bangladesh |
4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 8 | −1 | 4 | |
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Afghanistan |
4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 11 | −7 | 1 |
- All matches played in Bangladesh.
| Bangladesh | 3–2 | Afghanistan |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
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Group 3
- All matches played in Thailand.
- Allocation matches to determine groups
Singapore received a bye
Thailand  | 3–1 |  Indonesia |
|---|---|---|
Daoyod Dara  12'Withaya Laohakul 24'Manus R. 35' |
Timo Kapissa 18' |
Group 3A
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Malaysia |
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 3 | 1980 AFC Asian Cup |
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} North Korea |
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 3 | |
| Indonesia |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 | −5 | 0 |
| Malaysia | 4–1 | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|
| Santokh Singh 35' James Wong 51'Bakri Ibni 55'Mokhtar Dahari 88' |
Iswadi Idris 71' |
| North Korea | 3–1 | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|
| Pak Jong-hun 22', 75' Hong Song-nam 32' |
Andi Lala 35' |
Group 3B
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thailand |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | +9 | 6 | 1980 AFC Asian Cup |
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Hong Kong |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 2 | +6 | 4 | |
 Sri Lanka |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 9 | −5 | 2 | |
| Singapore |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 11 | −10 | 0 |
Group 4
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} South Korea |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | +9 | 6 | 1980 AFC Asian Cup |
 China |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 4 | |
 Macau |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 | −3 | 2 | |
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Philippines |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 10 | −9 | 0 |
- All matches played in the Philippines.
Qualified teams
| Team | Qualified as | Qualified on | Previous appearance |
|---|---|---|---|
 Kuwait | Hosts | N/A | 2 (1972, 1976) |
 Iran | 1976 AFC Asian Cup champions | 13 June 1976 | 3 (1968, 1972, 1976) |
| Syria | Group 1 winners | 22 November 1979 | 0 (debut) |
| United Arab Emirates | Group 1 runners-up | 23 November 1979 | 0 (debut) |
| Qatar | Group 2 winners | 15 January 1979 | 0 (debut) |
| Bangladesh | Group 2 runners-up | 16 January 1979 | 0 (debut) |
| North Korea | Group 3 winners | 12 May 1979 | 0 (debut) |
| Malaysia | Group 3 runners-up | 11 May 1979 | 1 (1976) |
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} South Korea | Group 4 winners | 29 December 1978 | 4 (1956, 1960, 1964, 1972) |
| China | Group 4 runners-up | 29 December 1978 | 1 (1976) |
Controversies
In the 17 November match between Syria and Bahrain, the referee awarded a penalty to Bahrain. The Syrian head coach entered the pitch, threatening the referee, who stopped the match in the 81st minute. The committee initially awarded the match 3–0 in favour of Bahrain, but Syria threatened to withdraw; the committee adjusted its decision to a replay of the match on 25 November, but then Bahrain withdrew. All matches involving Bahrain were annulled.[2]
References
- Morrison, Neil; Jovanovic, Bojan; Panahi, Majeed; Veroeveren, Pieter. "Asian Nations Cup 1980". RSSSF.
- "A-Cup: Singapore in Group Three"
- The Straits Times, 19 September 1978, Page 24
- "Champions Iran out of Asian Cup final round"
- The Straits Times, 25 May 1979, Page 35
- Al Anwar, November 1979