Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's Asian Qualifiers

The Asian Football Confederation's Pre-Olympic Tournament was held from 20 May 1995 to 27 March 1996. Twenty-five teams entered the qualification for the three allocated spots for the 1996 Summer Olympics Football tournament in Atlanta.

The qualification saw Korea Republic, Japan and Saudi Arabia winning their final round groups and qualifying to the Olympics.

Format

Asian berths for the final is 3.

First round
25 teams were grouped into 8 groups, where each group would consist of home and away round-robin tournament. The winners of each group would qualify to the second round. One group was consist of 4 teams, and the other 7 groups were each consist of 3 teams.
Second round
8 teams were grouped into 2 groups of 4 teams each, where each group would consist of round-robin tournament. The top two of each group would qualify to the third round.
Third round
This stage is a single-elimination tournament in which teams play each other in one-off matches, with extra time and penalty shootouts used to decide the winner if necessary. 2 semi-finals were played, Group A winner VS Group B runner-up and Group B winner VS Group A runner-up. This was followed by the third-place match (contested by the losing semi-finalists), and the final. The top three teams would qualify to the finals.

First round

The first round was played in eight groups held from 20 May 1995 to 29 October 1995. The winner of each group will be promoted to the final round.

Group 1
24 June 1995 Singapore 2 – 0 Malaysia
2 July 1995 China PR 4 – 0 Singapore
9 July 1995 China PR 2 – 1 Malaysia
16 July 1995 Malaysia 0 – 0 Singapore
23 July 1995 Malaysia 0 – 2 China PR
29 July 1995 Singapore 1 – 3 China PR
Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1  China PR 4400112+912
2  Singapore 411237-44
3  Malaysia 401316-51

China qualify to the second round.

Group 2
26 May 1995 Thailand 0 – 5 Japan
28 May 1995 Chinese Taipei 1 – 4 Japan
30 May 1995 Thailand 7 – 0 Chinese Taipei
8 June 1995 Chinese Taipei 0 – 5 Thailand
11 June 1995 Japan 6 – 0 Chinese Taipei
14 June 1995 Japan 1 – 0 Thailand
Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1  Japan 4400161+1512
2  Thailand 4202126+66
3  Chinese Taipei 4004122-210

Japan qualify to the second round.

Group 3
21 May 1995 Hong Kong 0 – 5 South Korea
25 May 1995 Indonesia 1 – 2 South Korea
30 May 1995 Indonesia 1 – 0 Hong Kong
19 August 1995 South Korea 7 – 0 Hong Kong
22 August 1995 South Korea 1 – 0 Indonesia
26 August 1995 Hong Kong 1 – 4 Indonesia
Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1  South Korea 4400151+1412
2  Indonesia 420264+26
3  Hong Kong 4004117-160

South Korea qualify to the second round.

Group 4
7 October 1995 Pakistan 0 – 2 Oman
11 October 1995 Pakistan 1 – 2 India
18 October 1995 Oman 3 – 2 India
22 October 1995 India 3 – 1 Pakistan
25 October 1995 Oman 6 – 0 Pakistan
29 October 1995 India 1 – 2 Oman
Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1  Oman 4400133+1012
2  India 420287+16
3  Pakistan 4004213-110

Oman qualify to the second round.

Group 5
20 May 1995 Kyrgyzstan 1 – 5 Uzbekistan
20 May 1995 Tajikistan 0 – 3 Kazakhstan
10 June 1995 Kyrgyzstan 2 – 2 Kazakhstan
10 June 1995 Uzbekistan 2 – 0 Tajikistan
24 June 1995 Uzbekistan 1 – 2 Kazakhstan
24 June 1995 Tajikistan 3 – 0 Kyrgyzstan
12 August 1995 Uzbekistan 2 – 1 Kyrgyzstan
12 August 1995 Kazakhstan 3 – 1 Tajikistan
2 September 1995 Kazakhstan 6 – 0 Kyrgyzstan
2 September 1995 Tajikistan 1 – 1 Uzbekistan
7 October 1995 Kyrgyzstan 5 – 4 Tajikistan
7 October 1995 Kazakhstan 3 – 1 Uzbekistan
Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1  Kazakhstan 6510195+1416
2  Uzbekistan 6312128+410
3  Tajikistan 6114914-54
4  Kyrgyzstan 6114922-134

Kazakhstan qualify to the second round.

Group 6
24 August 1995 Saudi Arabia 2 – 0 Syria
31 August 1995 Kuwait 0 – 1 Saudi Arabia
8 September 1995 Syria 0 – 1 Kuwait
15 September 1995 Syria 0 – 1 Saudi Arabia
21 September 1995 Saudi Arabia 0 – 0 Kuwait
28 September 1995 Kuwait 2 – 2 Syria
Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1  Saudi Arabia 431040+410
2  Kuwait 41213305
3  Syria 401326-41

Saudi Arabia qualify to the second round.

Group 7
13 September 1995 Turkmenistan 2 – 4 Iran
23 September 1995 United Arab Emirates 2 – 1 Turkmenistan
29 September 1995 Iran 1 – 1 United Arab Emirates
5 October 1995 Iran 4 – 0 Turkmenistan
15 October 1995 Turkmenistan 1 – 1 United Arab Emirates
22 October 1995 United Arab Emirates 1 – 0 Iran
Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1  United Arab Emirates 422053+28
2  Iran 421194+57
3  Turkmenistan 4013411-71

UAE qualify to the second round.

Group 8
15 September 1995 Jordan 1 – 2 Qatar
22 September 1995 Qatar 0 – 0 Iraq
29 September 1995 Jordan 0 – 4 Iraq
6 October 1995 Qatar 4 – 2 Jordan
13 October 1995 Iraq 3 – 2 Qatar
20 October 1995 Iraq 1 – 1 Jordan
Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1  Iraq 422083+58
2  Qatar 421186+27
3  Jordan 4013411-71

Iraq qualify to the second round.

Second round

The second round and the third round of the Olympic Qualifiers (U-23 teams) are being played in Malaysia from 16 to 27 March 1996. Three of the four semifinal entrants will qualify for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, USA.

Group A
16 March 1996 Iraq 1 – 1 Japan
16 March 1996 United Arab Emirates 1 – 3 Oman
18 March 1996 Iraq 3 – 1 United Arab Emirates
18 March 1996 Japan 4 – 1 Oman
20 March 1996 Japan 1 – 0 United Arab Emirates
20 March 1996 Iraq 1 – 0 Oman
Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1  Japan 321062+47
2  Iraq 321052+37
3  Oman 310246-23
4  United Arab Emirates 300327-50

Japan and Iraq qualify to the third round.

Group B
17 March 1996 Kazakhstan 2 – 4 China PR
17 March 1996 South Korea 1 – 1 Saudi Arabia
19 March 1996 Kazakhstan 1 – 2 South Korea
19 March 1996 China PR 1 – 1 Saudi Arabia
21 March 1996 China PR 0 – 3 South Korea
21 March 1996 Kazakhstan 0 – 4 Saudi Arabia
Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1  South Korea 321062+47
2  Saudi Arabia 312062+45
3  China PR 311156-14
4  Kazakhstan 3003310-70

South Korea and Saudi Arabia qualify to the third round.

Third round

Semifinal
24 March 1996 Japan 2 – 1 Saudi Arabia
24 March 1996 South Korea 2 – 1 Iraq

Third Place Match
27 March 1996 Saudi Arabia 1 – 0 (aet) Iraq

Final
27 March 1996 South Korea 2 – 1 Japan

South Korea, Japan and Saudi Arabia qualify to the 1996 Summer Olympics Football tournament in Atlanta.

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