Wikipedia

1978 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC and OFC)

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.

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)
← 1974
1982 →

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 edit

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 edit

Group 1 edit

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   Hong Kong 4 2 2 0 9 5 +4 6 Advance to 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
Referee: Boskovic (Australia)
Hong Kong  4–1  Indonesia
Chung Chor Wai   61' (pen.)
Wun Chee Keung   67'
Kwok Ka Ming   71'
Lau Wing Yip   83'		 Waskito Kaihun   12'
Referee: Namdar (Iran)
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)
Thailand  3–2  Indonesia
Cherdsak   27'
Jesdaporn   30' (pen.)
Niwat   36'		 Risdianto   44'
Junaedi Abdillah   70'
Referee: Alex Vaz (India)
Malaysia  1–1  Hong Kong
Bakri Ibni   78' Fung Chi Ming   15'
Referee: Harries (New Zealand)
Singapore  0–4  Indonesia
Ronny Pattinasarany   4'
Anjas Asmara   13'
Andi Lala   26'
Iswadi Idris   48'
Referee: Kim Joo-Won (Korea Republic)

Play-off edit

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.

Singapore  0–1  Hong Kong
Lau Wing Yip   33'
Referee: Boskovic (Australia)

Hong Kong advanced to the Final Round.

Group 2 edit

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   South Korea 4 2 2 0 4 1 +3 6 Advance to 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  0–0  South Korea
Referee: McGinlay (Scotland)
Israel  2–0  Japan
Machnes   43'
Bar   57'
Referee: Kitabdjian (France)
Japan  0–2  Israel
Machnes   41'
Peretz   54'
Referee: Verbeke (France)
South Korea  3–1  Israel
Cha Bum-Kun   23'
Park Sang-In   86'
Choi Jong-Duk   88'		 Malmilian   76'
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 edit

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   Iran 4 4 0 0 8 0 +8 8 Advance to 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'
Referee: Babacan (Turkey)
Saudi Arabia  0–3  Iran
Mazloumi   16', 78'
Roshan   62'
Referee: Linemayr (Austria)
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 edit

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   Kuwait 4 4 0 0 10 2 +8 8 Advance to 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
Bahrain  0–2  Kuwait
Kameel   5'
Yaqoub   21'
Referee: Partridge (England)
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)
Bahrain  1–2  Kuwait
Shaqr   73' Al-Anberi   33'
Al Duraihem   56' (pen.)
Qatar  0–3  Bahrain
Shaqr   32'
Zowayed   57'
Al Farhan   73' (pen.)
Referee: Partridge (England)
Qatar  1–4  Kuwait
Abubakr   82' (pen.) Yaqoub   10'
Ma'yoof   16'
Al Saleh   24'
Bo Hamad   60'

Kuwait advanced to the Final Round.

Group 5 edit

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   Australia 4 3 1 0 9 3 +6 7 Advance to 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)
Australia  3–1  New Zealand
Ollerton   60', 80'
Kosmina   72'		 Nelson   4'
New Zealand  1–1  Australia
Nelson   34' Ollerton   18'
Referee: Cheung Kwok Kui (Hong Kong)

Australia advanced to the Final Round.

Final round edit

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification          
1   Iran 8 6 2 0 12 3 +9 14 Qualification for 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
Hong Kong  0–2  Iran
Kazerani   22'
Jahani   77'
Referee: Gussoni, (Italy)
Hong Kong  0–1  South Korea
Cha Bum-Kun   81'
South Korea  0–0  Iran
Referee: Fute (Scotland)
Australia  3–0  Hong Kong
Kosmina   28', 84'
Barnes   46'
Referee: Hungerbühler (Switzerland)
Australia  0–1  Iran
Roshan   70'
Referee: Wöhrer (Austria)
Australia  2–1  South Korea
Kosmina   63', 75' Cha Bum-Kun   23'
Referee: Keizer (Netherlands)
Hong Kong  1–3  Kuwait
Chung Chor Wai   9' Al-Dakhil   35'
Yaqoub   52'
Bo Hamad   72'
Referee: Martinez (Spain)
South Korea  1–0  Kuwait
Park Sang-In   59'
Referee: Ciacci (Italy)
Australia  1–2  Kuwait
Rooney   83' Kameel   42'
Al-Anberi   49'
Referee: Vautrot (France)
South Korea  0–0  Australia
Referee: Eriksson (Sweden)
Iran  1–0  Kuwait
Jahani   48'
Referee: 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)
Kuwait  2–2  South Korea
Al-Dakhil   47'
Bo Abbas   76'		 Cha Bum-Kun   18'
Choi Jong-Duk   82'
Referee: Dubach (Switzerland)
Iran  2–2  South Korea
Roshan   52', 68' Lee Young-Moo   28', 88'
Referee: Partridge (England)
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'
Referee: Kitabdjian (France)
Kuwait  1–2  Iran
Al-Dakhil   14' Fariba   48'
Khabiri   59'
Referee: Malcolm Hall Wright (Northern Ireland)
South Korea  5–2  Hong Kong
Kim Ho-Kon   22'
Huh Jung-Moo   43'
Kim Jae-Han   76', 81'
Park Sang-in   89'		 Kwok Ka Ming   49'
Chan Fat Chi   79'

Iran qualified.

Qualified teams edit

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 edit

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

See also edit

References edit

  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.
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