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)Iran 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 advanced 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 qualified for the World Cup. The runners-up advanced to the AFC play-off.
  • Play-off: The two teams played against each other once in Malaysia. The winner qualify for the World Cup. The loser advanced 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 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 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 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) Abdullah 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
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 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
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
Mansourian 2'
Roosta 44'
Bagheri 69'
Ali Daei 73'		 (report) Mao Yijun 87'
Attendance: 100,000
Referee: Ahmad Nabil Ayad (Lebanon)
Kuwait 0–1 Qatar
(report) Al-Noobi 10'
Attendance: 18,000
Referee: Nazri Abdullah Mohamed (Malaysia)
China 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
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 gold-colored soccer ball 118'
Attendance: 22,000

Inter-confederation play-offs
Main article: 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC–OFC play-off)
Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score 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

There were 459 goals scored in 132 matches (including 2 international play-offs), for an average of 3.53 goals per match.

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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