1978 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC and OFC)

1978 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC and OFC)
Tournament details
Teams21 (from 2 confederations)
Tournament statistics
Top scorer(s)New Zealand Keith Nelson (7 goals)
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1982 →
AFC Asian Qualifiers
FIFA World Cup
AFC Asian Cup
OFC Qualifiers
FIFA World Cup

Listed below are the dates and results for the 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the Asian and Oceanian zone (AFC and OFC). For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification.

A total of 21 AFC and OFC teams and Israel[1] entered the competition. However, South Vietnam could not compete after being annexed by Vietnam. The Asian zone was allocated 1 place (out of 16) in the final tournament.

Format

There would be two rounds of play:

  • First Round: The 21 teams would be divided into 5 groups. The groups had different rules, as follows:
    • Group 1 had 6 teams. The teams played against each other once in Singapore. The top 2 teams after the group matches played against each other in a single match. The winner would advance to the Final Round.
    • Groups 2 and 3 had 4 teams each. The teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winners would qualify.
    • Group 4 had 4 teams. The teams played against each other twice in Qatar. The group winner would qualify.
    • Group 5 had 3 teams. The teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winner would qualify.
  • Final Round: The 5 teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winner would qualify.

First round

Group 1

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Hong Kong 4 2 2 0 9 5 +4 6 Play-off
2  Singapore 4 2 1 1 5 6 −1 5
3  Malaysia 4 1 2 1 7 6 +1 4
4  Indonesia 4 1 1 2 7 7 0 3
5  Thailand 4 1 0 3 8 12 −4 2
6  Sri Lanka 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Withdrew
Source: RSSSF
Singapore 2–0 Thailand
Quah Kim Song 48'
Rajagopal 70'
Attendance: 55,000
Malaysia 6–4 Thailand
James 15', 38', 51', 60'
Isa Bakar 17', 19'		 Jesdaporn 24', 67'
Witthaya 86'
Niwat 88'
Referee: Vaz (India)
Singapore 2–2 Hong Kong
Quah Kim Song 37'
Dollah Kassim 70'		 Wun Chee Keung 19', 51'
Referee: Harries (New Zealand)
Indonesia 0–0 Malaysia
Referee: Asami (Japan)
Hong Kong 2–1 Thailand
Kwok Ka Ming 49'
Chung Chor Wai 81'		 Witthaya 55'
Referee: Kim Joo-won (Korea Republic)
Singapore 1–0 Malaysia
Mohammad Noh Hussein 31' (pen.)
Referee: Asami (Japan)
Malaysia 1–1 Hong Kong
Bakri Ibni 78' Fung Chi Ming 15'
Referee: Harries (New Zealand)

Play-off

Hong Kong and Singapore finished in the top two places, and a play-off was played to decide who would advance to the Final Round.

Hong Kong advanced to the Final Round.

Group 2

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  South Korea 4 2 2 0 4 1 +3 6 Final round
2  Israel 4 2 1 1 5 3 +2 5
3  Japan 4 0 1 3 0 5 −5 1
4  North Korea 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Withdrew
Source: RSSSF
Israel 2–0 Japan
Machnes 43'
Bar 57'
Japan 0–2 Israel
Machnes 41'
Peretz 54'
Referee: Verbeke (France)
Japan 0–0 South Korea
Referee: Kathiravalc (Malaysia)
South Korea 1–0 Japan
Cha Bum-kun 84' (pen.)
Referee: Zainal Abidin (Malaysia)

Korea Republic advanced to the Final Round. North Korea withdrew prior to the tournament in protest of Israel's participation.[3]

Group 3

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Iran 4 4 0 0 8 0 +8 8 Final round
2  Saudi Arabia 4 1 0 3 3 7 −4 2
3  Syria 4 1 0 3 2 6 −4 2
4  Iraq 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Withdrew
Source: RSSSF
Saudi Arabia 2–0 Syria
Al Fahad 22'
Bo Saeed 54'
Referee: Dörflinger (Switzerland)
Syria 2–1 Saudi Arabia
Al Katbi 36'
Khouri 82'		 Ghani 44'
Syria 0–1 Iran
(Report) Parvin 36'
Attendance: 22,000
Referee: Robert Fratz (France)
Iran 2–0 (w/o) Syria
Forfeited
Tajgozari Stadium, Shiraz
Iran 2–0 Saudi Arabia
Yousefi 10'
Sharifi 84'
Tajgozari Stadium, Shiraz
Referee: Dörflinger (Switzerland)

Iran advanced to the Final Round.

Group 4

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Kuwait 4 4 0 0 10 2 +8 8 Final round
2  Bahrain 4 1 0 3 4 6 −2 2
3  Qatar 4 1 0 3 3 9 −6 2
4  United Arab Emirates 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Withdrew
Source: RSSSF
Qatar 2–0 Bahrain
Muftah 40'
Al Suwaidi 62'
Referee: Hungerbühler (Switzerland)
Qatar 0–2 Kuwait
Yaqoub 28'
Al-Anberi 68'
Referee: Ohmsen (West Germany)

Kuwait advanced to the Final Round.

Group 5

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Australia 4 3 1 0 9 3 +6 7 Final round
2  New Zealand 4 2 1 1 14 4 +10 5
3  Taiwan 4 0 0 4 1 17 −16 0
Source: RSSSF
Australia 3–0 Taiwan
Rooney 8', 46'
Abonyi 16'
Referee: Promakash (Thailand)
Taiwan 1–2 Australia
Chang Kuo Chi 29' Kosmina 35'
Abonyi 58'
Referee: Getkaew (Thailand)
New Zealand 6–0 Taiwan
Nelson 4', 6', 60'
Campbell 16'
Taylor 42'
Weymouth 74'
Referee: Suppiah (Singapore)
Taiwan 0–6 New Zealand
Nelson 10', 74'
Sumner 15', 51', 55'
Lo Chih Tsong 71' (o.g.)
Referee: Dhillon (Singapore)
New Zealand 1–1 Australia
Nelson 34' Ollerton 18'
Referee: Cheung Kwok Kui (Hong Kong)

Australia advanced to the Final Round.

Final round

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Iran 8 6 2 0 12 3 +9 14 Qualification to 1978 FIFA World Cup — 2–2 1–0 1–0 3–0
2  South Korea 8 3 4 1 12 8 +4 10 0–0 — 1–0 0–0 5–2
3  Kuwait 8 4 1 3 13 8 +5 9 1–2 2–2 — 1–0 4–0
4  Australia 8 3 1 4 11 8 +3 7 0–1 2–1 1–2 — 3–0
5  Hong Kong 8 0 0 8 5 26 −21 0 0–2 0–1 1–3 2–5 —
Source: RSSSF
South Korea 0–0 Iran
Referee: Fute (Scotland)
Australia 3–0 Hong Kong
Kosmina 28', 84'
Barnes 46'
Referee: Hungerbühler (Switzerland)
Hong Kong 1–3 Kuwait
Chung Chor Wai 9' Al-Dakhil 35'
Yaqoub 52'
Bo Hamad 72'
Referee: Martínez (Spain)
South Korea 1–0 Kuwait
Park Sang-in 59'
Referee: Ciacci (Italy)
Australia 1–2 Kuwait
Rooney 83' Kameel 42'
Al-Anberi 49'
South Korea 0–0 Australia
Referee: Ulf Eriksson (Sweden)
Iran 1–0 Kuwait
Jahani 48'
Referee: Clive Thomas (Wales)
Hong Kong 2–5 Australia
Tang Hung Cheong 65'
Chung Chor Wai 80'		 Ollerton 19', 31', 65'
Abonyi 39' (pen.)
Bennett 85'
Referee: Ponnet (Belgium)
Iran 2–2 South Korea
Roshan 52', 68' Lee Young-moo 28', 88'
Kuwait 4–0 Hong Kong
Al-Dakhil 3', 17'
Al-Anberi 45'
Kameel 80'
Referee: Victor (Luxembourg)
Iran 3–0 Hong Kong
Jahani 3', 35'
Kazerani 19'
Referee: Raus (Yugoslavia)
Kuwait 1–0 Australia
Al-Dakhil 52'
Referee: Bucek (Austria)
Iran 1–0 Australia
Jahani 44'
Kuwait 1–2 Iran
Al-Dakhil 14' Fariba 48'
Khabiri 59'
Referee: Malcolm Hall Wright (Northern Ireland)

Iran qualified.

Qualified teams

The following team from AFC qualified for the final tournament.

Team Qualified as Qualified on Previous appearances in FIFA World Cup1
 Iran Final Round winners 25 November 1977 0 (debut)
1 Bold indicates champions for that year. Italic indicates hosts for that year.

Goalscorers

7 goals
6 goals
5 goals
4 goals
3 goals
2 goals
1 goal
1 own goal

See also

References

  1. ^ Israel left the AFC in 1974
  2. ^ Japan played its "home" match against Israel away at Israel.
  3. ^ "North Korea Out Of World Soccer Cup Preliminaries". The Wichita Eagle. Associated Press. 29 January 1977. p. 2D. Retrieved 20 July 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Both matches between Australia and Taiwan were played on neutral ground.
  5. ^ Both matches between Australia and Taiwan were played on neutral ground.
  6. ^ Taiwan played its "home" match against New Zealand away instead.