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)
Qualification for
championships (AFC)

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

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:
16 March 1997 Chinese Taipei 0–2 Saudi ArabiaShah Alam Stadium, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
(report) O.Al-Dosari  34'
Al-Shahrani  37'		 Attendance: 15,000
Referee: Hiroyuki Umemoto (Japan)
16 March 1997 Malaysia 2–0 BangladeshShah Alam Stadium, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
Azman  43'
Abdul  87'		 (report) Attendance: 25,000
Referee: Wei Jihong (China)
18 March 1997 Bangladesh 1–3 Chinese TaipeiShah Alam Stadium, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
Rana  56' (report) Lin Wen Han  59'
Huang Che-ming  62'
Chen Kuei-jen  78'		 Attendance: 10,000
18 March 1997 Malaysia 0–0 Saudi ArabiaShah Alam Stadium, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
(report) Attendance: 20,000
Referee: Hiroyuki Umemoto (Japan)
20 March 1997 Bangladesh 1–4 Saudi ArabiaShah Alam Stadium, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
Rana  44' (report) Al-Muwallid  20'
Al-Temawi  27'
Al-Shahrani  65'
Al-Mehallel  73'		 Attendance: 5,000
Referee: Fong Fat Wah (Hong Kong)
20 March 1997 Malaysia 2–0 Chinese TaipeiShah Alam Stadium, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
Che Zambil  2'
Sulong  16'		 (report) Attendance: 10,293
Referee: Ahmed Ibrahim Hakeem (United Arab Emirates)
27 March 1997 Chinese Taipei 0–0 MalaysiaYouth Welfare, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
(report) Attendance: 20,000
Referee: Mohamed Bin Khamis Al Kabi (Oman)
27 March 1997 Saudi Arabia 3–0 BangladeshYouth Welfare, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Al-Shahrani
O.Al-Dosari
Abdullah Al-Dosari 		(report) Attendance: 20,000
Referee: Ahmad Nabil Ayad (Lebanon)
29 March 1997 Saudi Arabia 3–0 MalaysiaYouth Welfare, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Al-Muwallid  59', 85'
O.Al-Dosari  87'		 (report) Attendance: 15,000
Referee: Pirom Un-Prasert (Thailand)
29 March 1997 Chinese Taipei 1–2 BangladeshYouth Welfare, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Hsu Te Ming (report) Alfaz Ahmed
Imtiaz 		Attendance: 2,000
Referee: Omar Abu Loom (Jordan)
31 March 1997 Bangladesh 0–1 MalaysiaYouth Welfare, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
(report) Zainal Attendance: 6,000
Referee: Pirom Un-Prasert (Thailand)
31 March 1997 Saudi Arabia 6–0 Chinese TaipeiYouth Welfare, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Al-Jaber  3'  16'  63'
Al-Muwallid  5'
Abdulaziz Al-Dosari  30'
Al-Zahrani  46'		 (report) Attendance: 9,000
Referee: Kim Young-joo (South Korea)

Group 2
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Iran 6 5 1 0 39 3 +36 16
 Kyrgyzstan 5 3 0 2 12 11 +1 9
 Syria 5 2 1 2 27 5 +22 7
 Maldives 6 0 0 6 0 59 −59 0
Source:
2 June 1997 Maldives 0–17 IranAbbasiyyin Stadium, Damascus, Syria
16:30 (report) Bagheri  9', 13', 16', 60', 66', 67', 86'
Estili  29', 47', 55'
Azizi  35', 36'
Shahroudi  56'
Mahdavikia  63'
Daei  75', 77'
Minavand  87'		 Attendance: 7,000
Referee: An Bong-ki (South Korea)
4 June 1997 Syria 12–0 MaldivesAbbasiyyin Stadium, Damascus, Syria
Bayazid  7', 13'
Jokhadar  9', 37', 89'
Rifai  10'
Jabban  12', 78'
Srour  21'
Zaher  49'
Boushi  70'  79'		 (report) Attendance: 15,000
Referee: Esa Mohamed Saleh (United Arab Emirates)
4 June 1997 Kyrgyzstan 0–7 IranAbbasiyyin Stadium, Damascus, Syria
15:30 (report) Bagheri  35', 51'
Daei  57'
Majidi  68', 88'
Minavand  76'
Mousavi  82'		 Attendance: 8,000
Referee: Shamsul Maidin (Singapore)
6 June 1997 Syria 0–1 IranAbbasiyyin Stadium, Damascus, Syria
17:30 (report) Daei  65' Attendance: 33,000
Referee: Masayoshi Okada (Japan)
6 June 1997 Kyrgyzstan 3–0 MaldivesAbbasiyyin Stadium, Damascus, Syria
Korzanov  4'
Merzlikin  24'
Yusupov  28'		 (report) Attendance: 7,000
Referee: Wang Xuezhi (China)
9 June 1997 Iran 3–1 KyrgyzstanAzadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran
19:00 Azizi  3', 77'
Bagheri  52'		 (report) Kutsov  16' Attendance: 50,000
Referee: Pirom Un-Prasert (Thailand)
9 June 1997 Maldives 0–12 SyriaAzadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran
(report) Agha  24', 50'
Dib  55'
Taleb  60'
Bayazid  62', 63', 87'
Rihawi  66'
Abrash  80', 90'
Zaher  85', 89'		 Attendance: 25,000
Referee: Mohamed Nazri Abdullah (Malaysia)
11 June 1997 Iran 9–0 MaldivesAzadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran
19:00 Mansourian  15', 44'
Bagheri  22', 39'
Daei  33', 43'
Mahdavikia  38'
Shahroudi  68'
Azizi  87'		 (report) Attendance: 30,000
Referee: Mohamed Sanhoub (Yemen)
11 June 1997 Kyrgyzstan 2–1 SyriaAzadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran
Sardarov  76'
Kutsov  89'		 (report) Boushi  84' Attendance: 15,000
Referee: Yu Jingyin (China)
13 June 1997 Iran 2–2 SyriaAzadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran
Shahroudi  10'
Mansourian  30'		 (report) Boushi  11'
Bayazid  39'		 Attendance: 100,000
Referee: Mohamed Nazri Abdullah (Malaysia)
13 June 1997 Maldives 0–6 KyrgyzstanAzadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran
(report) Merzlikin  14'
Chertkov  22'
Kutsov  26'
Haitbaev  47', 89'
Ivanov  47'		 Attendance: 70,000
Referee: Fahed Al-Damisi (Jordan)
  • The match between Syria and Kyrgyzstan was not played.

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:
8 April 1997 Jordan 0–0 United Arab EmiratesBahrain National Stadium, Riffa, Bahrain
(report) Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Omer Saleh Al Mehannah (Saudi Arabia)
11 April 1997 Bahrain 1–2 United Arab EmiratesBahrain National Stadium, Riffa, Bahrain
Darwish  84' (report) Abdulla  18', 57' Attendance: 18,000
Referee: Lu Jun (China)
14 April 1997 Bahrain 1–0 JordanBahrain National Stadium, Riffa, Bahrain
Al-Doseri  27' (report) Attendance: 4,000
Referee: Eskandar Hammal (Syria)
19 April 1997 Jordan 4–1 BahrainSports Stadium, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Tadrus  14', 89'
Qasem Al-Sheikh  33'
Al-Khateeb  88'		 (report) Rashed  43' Attendance: 4,000
Referee: Menfi Redha Falah (Iraq)
22 April 1997 United Arab Emirates 3–0 BahrainSports Stadium, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Saeed  14'
Mubarak  50', 60'		 (report) Attendance: 12,000
Referee: Kiyoshi Ota (Japan)
26 April 1997 United Arab Emirates 2–0 JordanSports Stadium, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Al Talyani  27'
Mubarak  88'		 (report) Attendance: 12,000
Referee: Hossein Asgari (Iran)

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:
23 March 1997 Nepal   1–1 MacauSultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Muscat, Oman
Khadka  23' (report) Cheang  13' Attendance: 500
Referee: Mahmoud Nurilddin (Iraq)
23 March 1997 Oman 0–1 JapanSultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Muscat, Oman
(report) Omura  10' Attendance: 2,000
Referee: Nik Ahmad HajiI Yaakub (Malaysia)
25 March 1997 Macau 0–10 JapanSultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Muscat, Oman
(report) Akita  1'
Takagi  14', 33', 72'
Soma  45'
Miura  54', 89'
Morishima  80', 82'
Nanami  86'		 Attendance: 600
Referee: Wang Xuezhi (China)
25 March 1997 Oman 1–0   NepalSultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Muscat, Oman
Al Busaidy  75' (report) Attendance: 1,000
Referee: Yousef Shaikho (Syria)
27 March 1997 Nepal   0–6 JapanSultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Muscat, Oman
(report) Morishima  24'
Takagi  47', 55', 89'
Omura  76'
Honda  90'		 Attendance: 500
Referee: Sardar Nadjafaliev (Uzbekistan)
27 March 1997 Oman 4–0 MacauSultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Muscat, Oman
Samir  32'
Al Siyabi  42', 56'
Abdul Noor  83'		 (report) Attendance: 0
Referee: Mahmoud Nurilddin (Iraq)
22 June 1997 Japan 10–0 MacauNational Stadium, Tokyo, Japan
Nakata  17', 61'
Nishizawa  21'
Miura  23', 29', 44', 57', 62', 79'
Nanami  42'		 (report) Attendance: 27,342
Referee: Ali Naghi Mostafanezhad (Iran)
22 June 1997 Nepal   0–6 OmanNational Stadium, Tokyo, Japan
(report) Shakya  1' (o.g.)
Al Busaidy  13'
Ahmed Hassan  17', 50'
Al Araimi  73'
Al Masori  78'		 Attendance: 15,875
Referee: Sun Baojie (China)
25 June 1997 Japan 3–0   NepalNational Stadium, Tokyo, Japan
Nishizawa  44'
Miura  72', 87'		 (report) Attendance: 28,360
Referee: Abayawansa Mahasena Yapa (Sri Lanka)
25 June 1997 Macau 0–2 OmanNational Stadium, Tokyo, Japan
(report) Al Araimi  44'
Ahmed Hassan  89'		 Attendance: 8,737
Referee: Mahmoud Al Rifaee (Syria)
28 June 1997 Japan 1–1 OmanNational Stadium, Tokyo, Japan
Nakata  4' (report) Samir  63' Attendance: 48,839
Referee: Selearajen Subramaniam (Malaysia)
28 June 1997 Macau 2–1   NepalNational Stadium, Tokyo, Japan
Che  78'
da Cruz Martins  89'		 (report) Deepak Amatya  19' Attendance: 22,972

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:
6 April 1997 Indonesia 8–0 CambodiaSenayan Main Stadium, Jakarta, Indonesia
Putro  1'
Lubis  6', 52'
Putiray  12', 44', 70'
Wabia  31', 36'		 (report) Attendance: 25,000
Referee: Shamsul Maidin (Singapore)
13 April 1997 Indonesia 0–0 YemenSenayan Main Stadium, Jakarta, Indonesia
(report) Attendance: 25,000
Referee: Selearajen Subramaniam (Malaysia)
20 April 1997 Cambodia 0–1 YemenPhnom Penh Olympic Stadium, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
(report) Dariban  39' Attendance: 20,000
Referee: Ng Yim Kin (Hong Kong)
27 April 1997 Cambodia 1–1 IndonesiaPhnom Penh Olympic Stadium, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Sochetra  65' (report) Putro  80' Attendance: 30,000
Referee: Li Haiseng (China)
9 May 1997 Yemen 0–1 UzbekistanAlthawra Sports City Stadium, Sana'a, Yemen
(report) Khasanov  27' Attendance: 28,000
Referee: Yousef Sawarkeh (Jordan)
16 May 1997 Yemen 7–0 CambodiaAlthawra Sports City Stadium, Sana'a, Yemen
Al Ariki  4', 13', 15', 83'
Noman  50'
Bashafal  55'
Abdulla  65'		 (report) Attendance: 40,000
Referee: Khaled Dalu (Syria)
25 May 1997 Uzbekistan 6–0 CambodiaPakhtakor Markaziy Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Shirshov  8'
Khasanov  18'
Lebedev  38', 73'
Fedorov  45'
Irismetov  55'		 (report) Attendance: 53,000
Referee: Viktor Kolpakov (Kyrgyzstan)
1 June 1997 Indonesia 1–1 UzbekistanSenayan Main Stadium, Jakarta, Indonesia
Sudirman  34' (report) Shatskikh  74' Attendance: 30,000
Referee: Kim Kwang-jong (South Korea)
13 June 1997 Yemen 1–1 IndonesiaAlthawra Sports City Stadium, Sana'a, Yemen
Al Ariki  33' (report) Putro  59' Attendance: 35,000
Referee: Ali Al Hosni Ali Bin Mubarak (Oman)
20 June 1997 Uzbekistan 3–0 IndonesiaPakhtakor Markaziy Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Shatskikh  12'
Maksudov  37', 87'		 (report) Attendance: 55,000
Referee: Jalal Moradi (Iran)
29 June 1997 Cambodia 1–4 UzbekistanPhnom Penh Olympic Stadium, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Sochetra  12' (report) Abdukahhor Marifaliev  2', 60'
Ravshan Bozorov  9', 30'		 Attendance: 12,000
Referee: Abdul Shakoor Baloch (Pakistan)
24 August 1997 Uzbekistan 5–1 YemenPakhtakor Markaziy Stadium, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Shkvyrin  8', 63'
Shatskikh  55', 75'
Bazarov  62'		 (report) Zughair  30' Attendance: 20,000
Referee: Sultan Mujalli Al Aalaq (Bahrain)

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:
23 February 1997 Hong Kong 0–2 South KoreaHong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong
(report) Seo Jung-won  60'
Choi Moon-sik  75'		 Referee: Yoshimi Ogawa (Japan)
2 March 1997 Thailand 1–3 South KoreaRajamangala Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand
Piyapong  48' (report) Roh Sang-rae  18'
Ha Seok-ju  74'
Choi Moon-sik  86'		 Attendance: 20,000
Referee: Lu Jun (China)
9 March 1997 Thailand 2–0 Hong KongRajamangala Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand
Krissada  23'
Natipong  79'		 (report) Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Abdul Aziz A. Al Dokhail (Saudi Arabia)
30 March 1997 Hong Kong 3–2 ThailandHong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong
Lee Kin Woo  23'
Cheng Sin Siu  48'
Au Wai Lun  88'		 (report) Natipong  43'
Chalermsan  70'		 Attendance: 20,000
Referee: Nazri Abdullah Mohamed (Malaysia)
28 May 1997 South Korea 4–0 Hong KongDaejeon Hanbat Sports Complex, Daejeon, South Korea
Yoo Sang-chul  25'
Choi Yong-soo  39', 72'
Park Kun-ha  86'		 (report) Attendance: 20,000
Referee: Hussein Issa (Iraq)
1 June 1997 South Korea 0–0 ThailandSeoul Olympic Stadium, Seoul, South Korea
(report) Attendance: 20,000
Referee: Jamal Al Sharif (Syria)

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:
13 April 1997 Lebanon 1–1 SingaporeBourj Hammoud Stadium, Beirut, Lebanon
Nazha  49' (report) Zainal  88' Attendance: 12,000
Referee: Abdul Rahman Al-Zaid (Saudi Arabia)
26 April 1997 Singapore 0–1 KuwaitNational Stadium, Singapore
(report) Hani Al Saqer  29' Attendance: 13,000
Referee: Park Hae-Yong (South Korea)
8 May 1997 Kuwait 2–0 LebanonAl-Sadaqua Walsalam Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait
Al Huwaidi  38'
Al Ahmad  79'		 (report) Attendance: 12,000
Referee: Ali Bujsaim (United Arab Emirates)
24 May 1997 Singapore 1–2 LebanonNational Stadium, Singapore
Chuan Tan Teng  58' (pen.) (report) Shehab  35'
Melikian  80'		 Attendance: 14,455
Referee: Pirom Un-Prasert (Thailand)
5 June 1997 Kuwait 4–0 SingaporeAl-Sadaqua Walsalam Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait
Saihan  28'
Al Ahmad  35'
Al Huwaidi  43'
Abdulaziz  78'		 (report) Attendance: 13,000
Referee: Suleman Abo Allo (Syria)
22 June 1997 Lebanon 1–3 KuwaitBourj Hammoud Stadium, Beirut, Lebanon
Shehab  29' (report) Otaibi  7'
Al Saleh  32', 74'		 Attendance: 2,500
Referee: Masayoshi Okada (Japan)

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:
4 May 1997 Tajikistan 4–0 VietnamPamir Stadium, Dushanbe, Tajikistan
Alidodov  8'
Mouminov  15'
Dzhaborov  50', 84'		 (report) Attendance: 18,000
Referee: Alexander Koulzalov (Kazakhstan)
4 May 1997 Turkmenistan 1–4 China PRNisa-Çandybil Stadium, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
Meredov  90' (report) Peng Weiguo  26', 39'
Gao Feng  78'
Li Bing  80'		 Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Saeed Abdulla Ibrahim United Arab Emirates
11 May 1997 Tajikistan 0–1 China PRPamir Stadium, Dushanbe, Tajikistan
(report) Hao Haidong  65' Attendance: 19,000
Referee: Masoud Kaabi (Iran)
11 May 1997 Turkmenistan 2–1 VietnamNisa-Çandybil Stadium, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
Agabaev  39'
Gulyan  53'		 (report) Nguyễn Công Vinh  71' Attendance: 2,500
Referee: Gyanu Shrestha (Nepal)
25 May 1997 Vietnam 1–3 China PRThống Nhất Stadium, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Lê Huỳnh Đức  38' (report) Li Bing  23'
Fan Zhiyi  32'
Hao Haidong  44'		 Attendance: 23,000
Referee: Russamee Jindamai (Thailand)
25 May 1997 Turkmenistan 1–2 TajikistanNisa-Çandybil Stadium, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
Tkavadze  18' (report) Knizaev  41', 49' Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Inayath Ulla Khan (India)
1 June 1997 China PR 1–0 TurkmenistanWorkers Stadium, Beijing, China
Li Jinyu  81' (report) Attendance: 20,000
Referee: Yoshimi Ogawa (Japan)
1 June 1997 Vietnam 0–4 TajikistanThống Nhất Stadium, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
(report) Mouminov  5'
Alidodov  24'
Avakov  67'
Achourmamadov  75'		 Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Ngadiman Asri (Indonesia)
8 June 1997 China PR 0–0 TajikistanWorkers Stadium, Beijing, China
(report) Attendance: 21,000
Referee: Abdul Khudheir Abdul Hussein (Iraq)
8 June 1997 Vietnam 0–4 TurkmenistanThống Nhất Stadium, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
(report) Agaev  16', 57', 63'
Broshin  20'		 Attendance: 5,000
Referee: Kyaw U Kyaw (Myanmar)
22 June 1997 China PR 4–0 VietnamWorkers Stadium, Beijing, China
Fan Zhiyi  7'
Hao Haidong  45'
Ma Mingyu  65'
Su Maozhen  70'		 (report) Attendance: 15,000
Referee: Jang Sok Jin (North Korea)
22 June 1997 Tajikistan 5–0 TurkmenistanPamir Stadium, Dushanbe, Tajikistan
Avakov  4', 26', 34'
Dzhaborov  14'
Mouminov  88'		 (report) Attendance: 7,000
Referee: Nail Lutfullin (Uzbekistan)

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:
11 May 1997 Kazakhstan 3–0 PakistanCentral Stadium, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Esmagambetov  2', 62'
Yablochkin  49'		 (report) Attendance: 12,000
Referee: Allabergen Sapaev (Turkmenistan)
23 May 1997 Pakistan 2–6 IraqRailway Stadium, Lahore, Pakistan
Umer  8'
Rafiq  53'		 (report) Fawzi  1', 62'
Chathir  35', 61'
Hussein  52'
Radhi  70'		 Attendance: 12,000
Referee: Sunil Senaweera (Sri Lanka)
6 June 1997 Iraq 1–2 KazakhstanAl-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad, Iraq
Saadoun  2' (report) Klishin  41'
Loginov  48'		 Attendance: 20,000
Referee: Wei Jihong (China)
11 June 1997 Pakistan 0–7 KazakhstanRailway Stadium, Lahore, Pakistan
(report) Esmagambetov  28'
Klishin  32'
Loginov  36'
Mazbaev  53'
Zubarev  64', 68', 72'		 Attendance: 3,500
Referee: Abbas Al Dashti Essa (Kuwait)
20 June 1997 Iraq 6–1 PakistanAl-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad, Iraq
Hussein  11', 26'
Fawzi  69', 76'
Abbas  71', 89'		 (report) Umer  58' Referee: Ammar Ammar (Lebanon)
29 June 1997 Kazakhstan 3–1 IraqCentral Stadium, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Mazbaev  4'
Loginov  26'
Saadoun  56' (o.g.)		 (report) Abdullah  1' Attendance: 12,000
Referee: Jindamai Russamee (Thailand)

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:
20 September 1996 Qatar 3–0 Sri LankaKhalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar
Soufi  35'
Al-Enazi  51'
Fazli  81'		 (report) Attendance: 1,000
Referee: Kurmanbek Ordabayev (Kazakhstan)
21 September 1996 India 2–0 PhilippinesKhalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar
Vijayan  81'
Coutinho  85'		 (report) Attendance: 700
Referee: Omar Ali Al Shughair (Saudi Arabia)
23 September 1996 Qatar 5–0 PhilippinesKhalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar
Al-Enazi  19', 41'
Soufi  29'
Al Noobi  30'
Jaloof  38'		 (report) Attendance: 800
Referee: Muhammad Sahib (Iraq)
24 September 1996 Sri Lanka 1–1 IndiaKhalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar
Silva  14' (report) Chapman  39' Attendance: 400
Referee: Ammar Ammar (Lebanon)
26 September 1996 Philippines 0–3 Sri LankaKhalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar
(report) Steinwall  28'
Perera  55', 80'		 Attendance: 200
Referee: Kurmanbek Ordabayev (Kazakhstan)
27 September 1996 Qatar 6–0 IndiaKhalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar
Al-Enazi  27', 40'
Al Kuwari  42'
Maayof  47'
Soufi  52'
Fazli  61'		 (report) Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Omar Ali Al Shughair (Saudi Arabia)

Final round

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:
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'
King Fahd Stadium, Riyadh
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'
Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Jamal Al-Sharif (Syria)
Qatar 1–1 China PR
Nasir Khamees  10' (report) Hao Haidong  67'
Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha
Attendance: 9,000
Referee: Mahmoud Nurilddin (Iraq)
Kuwait 1–1 Iran
Al Huwaidi  20' (report) Bagheri  90'
Kazma SC Stadium, Kuwait City
Attendance: 25,000
Referee: Jimdamai Russamee (Thailand)
China PR 1–0 Saudi Arabia
Zhang Enhua  69' (report)
Attendance: 30,000
Referee: Pirom Un-Prasert (Thailand)
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'
Kazma SC Stadium, Kuwait City
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'
Kazma SC Stadium, Kuwait City
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'
Kazma SC Stadium, Kuwait City
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
Referee: Pirom Un-Prasert (Thailand)
Saudi Arabia 1–1 China PR
Al-Muwallid  4' (report) Hao Haidong  10'
King Fahd Stadium, Riyadh
Attendance: 70,000
Qatar 2–0 Iran
Al-Enazi  38', 81' (report)
Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha
Attendance: 20,000
Qatar 0–1 Saudi Arabia
(report) Al Shahrani  61'
Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha
Referee: Kim Milton Nielsen (Denmark)

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:
6 September 1997 South Korea 3–0 KazakhstanSeoul Olympic Stadium, Seoul
19:00 UTC+9 Choi Yong-soo  24', 67', 74' (report) Attendance: 41,219
Referee: Santhan Nagalingam (Singapore)
7 September 1997 Japan 6–3 UzbekistanNational Stadium, Tokyo
19:00 UTC+9 Miura  4' (pen.), 40', 64', 80'
Nakata  40'
Jo  44'		 (report) Shatskikh  56', 77'
Fyodorov  69' (pen.)		 Attendance: 54,328
Referee: Abdul Rahman Al-Zaid (Saudi Arabia)
12 September 1997 South Korea 2–1 UzbekistanSeoul Olympic Stadium, Seoul
Choi Yong-soo  15'
Lee Sang-yoon  87'		 (report) Shatskikh  74' Attendance: 70,000
Referee: Wei Jihong (China)
12 September 1997 United Arab Emirates 4–0 KazakhstanZayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Ali  20'
Obaid  48'
Zuhair Bakheet  75'
Mubarak  85'		 (report) Attendance: 15,000
Referee: Pirom Un-Prasert (Thailand)
19 September 1997 United Arab Emirates 0–0 JapanZayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
(report) Attendance: 40,000
Referee: Nazri Abdullah Mohamed (Malaysia)
20 September 1997 Kazakhstan 1–1 UzbekistanCentral Stadium, Almaty
Baltiyev  84' (report) Shatskikh  85' Attendance: 12,000
Referee: Ahmad Nabil Ayad (Lebanon)
27 September 1997 Uzbekistan 2–3 United Arab EmiratesPakhtakor Markaziy Stadium, Tashkent
Shirshov  10'
Bazarov  90'		 (report) Zuhair Bakheet  51'
Alabadla  60'
Adnan Al Talyani  85'		 Attendance: 50,000
Referee: Jalal Moradi (Iran)
28 September 1997 Japan 1–2 South KoreaNational Stadium, Tokyo
Yamaguchi  67' (report) Seo Jung-won  83'
Lee Min-sung  86'		 Attendance: 56,704
Referee: Saad Mane (Kuwait)
4 October 1997 South Korea 3–0 United Arab EmiratesSeoul Olympic Stadium, Seoul
Ha Seok-ju  8'
Yoo Sang-chul  69'
Lee Sang-yoon  81'		 (report) Referee: Lucien Bouchardeau (Niger)
4 October 1997 Kazakhstan 1–1 JapanCentral Stadium, Almaty
Zubarev  90+2' (report) Akita  23' Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Taj Addin Fares (Syria)
11 October 1997 Uzbekistan 1–1 JapanPakhtakor Markaziy Stadium, Tashkent
Kambaraliev  30' (report) Lopes  89' Attendance: 54,000
Referee: Sultan Mujalli Al Aalaq (Bahrain)
11 October 1997 Kazakhstan 1–1 South KoreaCentral Stadium, Almaty
Yevteyev  50' (report) Choi Yong-soo  5' Attendance: 15,000
Referee: Omar Abu Loom (Jordan)
18 October 1997 Uzbekistan 1–5 South KoreaPakhtakor Markaziy Stadium, Tashkent
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)
18 October 1997 Kazakhstan 3–0 United Arab EmiratesCentral Stadium, Almaty
Sparyshev  55'
Yevteyev  64'
Yurist  75'		 (report) Attendance: 18,000
Referee: Nik Ahmad Haji Yaakub (Malaysia)
25 October 1997 Uzbekistan 4–0 KazakhstanPakhtakor Markaziy Stadium, Tashkent
Shkvyrin  19', 33'
Fedorov  44'
Kasimov  71'		 (report) Attendance: 25,000
Referee: Hassan Al Ajmi (Oman)
26 October 1997 Japan 1–1 United Arab EmiratesNational Stadium, Tokyo
Lopes  4' (report) Mubarak  37' Attendance: 56,000
Referee: Rodrigo Badilla (Costa Rica)
1 November 1997 South Korea 0–2 JapanSeoul Olympic Stadium, Seoul
(report) Nanami  2'
Lopes  37'		 Attendance: 75,000
Referee: Esse Baharmast (United States)
2 November 1997 United Arab Emirates 0–0 UzbekistanZayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
(report) Attendance: 30,000
Referee: Khaled Dalu (Syria)
8 November 1997 Japan 5–1 KazakhstanNational Stadium, Tokyo
Akita  11'
Nakata  15'
Nakayama  44'
Ihara  66'
Takagi  88'		 (report) Yevteyev  73' Attendance: 56,032
Referee: Mario van der Ende (Netherlands)
9 November 1997 United Arab Emirates 1–3 South KoreaZayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Zuhair Bakheet  58' (report) Lee Sang-yoon  11'
Kim Do-hoon  42', 67'		 Attendance: 1,800
Referee: Piero Ceccarini (Italy)

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
Referee: Manuel Diaz Vega (Spain)

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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