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)
AFC Asian Qualifiers
FIFA World Cup
AFC Asian Cup

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.

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
Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1  Hong Kong 6422095+4
2  Singapore 5421156−1
3  Malaysia 4412176+1
4  Indonesia 34112770
5  Thailand 24103812−4
—  Sri Lanka withdrew
27 February 1977 Singapore  2–0  Thailand National Stadium, Singapore
Quah Kim Song  48'
Rajagopal  70'		 Attendance: 55.000
Referee: Boskovic (Australia)
28 February 1977 Hong Kong  4–1  Indonesia Singapore
Chung Chor Wai  61' (pen)
Wun Chee Keung  67'
Kwok Ka Ming  71'
Lau Wing Yip  83'		 Waskito Kaihun  12' Referee: Namdar (Iran)
1 March 1977 Malaysia  6–4  Thailand Singapore
James  15', 38', 51', 60'
Isa Bakar  17', 19'		 Na phatalung 24', 67'
Laohakul  86'
Srisawat  88'		 Referee: Vaz (India)
2 March 1977 Singapore  2–2  Hong Kong Singapore
Quah Kim Song  37'
Dollah Kassim  70'		 Wun Chee Keung  19', 51' Referee: Harries (New Zealand)
3 March 1977 Indonesia  0–0  Malaysia Singapore
Referee: Asami (Japan)
5 March 1977 Hong Kong  2–1  Thailand Singapore
Kwok Ka Ming  49'
Chung Chor Wai  81'		 Laohakul  55' Referee: Kim Joo-Won (Korea Republic)
6 March 1977 Singapore  1–0  Malaysia Singapore
Mohammad Noh Hussein  31' (pen) Referee: Asami (Japan)
7 March 1977 Thailand  3–2  Indonesia Singapore
Chaiyabutr  27'
Na Phatalung  30' (pen)
Srisawat  36'		 Risdianto  44'
Junaedi Abdillah  70'		 Referee: Alex Vaz (India)
8 March 1977 Malaysia  1–1  Hong Kong Singapore
Bakri Ibni  78' Fung Chi Ming  15' Referee: Harries (New Zealand)
9 March 1977 Singapore  0–4  Indonesia Singapore
Ronny Pattinasarany  4'
Anjas Asmara  13'
Andi Lala  26'
Iswadi Idris  48'		 Referee: Kim Joo-Won (Korea Republic)

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.

12 March 1977 Singapore  0–1  Hong Kong Singapore
Lau Wing Yip  33' Referee: Boskovic (Australia)

Hong Kong advanced to the Final Round.

Group 2
Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1  South Korea 6422041+3
2  Israel 5421153+2
3  Japan 1401305−5
—  North Korea withdrew
27 February 1977 Israel  0–0  South Korea Tel Aviv, Israel
Referee: McGinlay (Scotland)
6 March 1977 Israel  2–0  Japan Tel Aviv, Israel
Machnes  43'
Bar  57'		 Referee: Kitabdjian (France)
10 March 1977 Japan  0–2  Israel Tel Aviv, Israel[2]
Machnes  41'
Peretz  54'		 Referee: Verbeke (France)
20 March 1977 South Korea  3–1  Israel Seoul, Korea Republic
Cha Bum-Kun  23'
Park Sang-In  86'
Choi Jong-Duk  88'		 Malmilian  76'
26 March 1977 Japan  0–0  South Korea Tokyo, Japan
Referee: Kathiravalc (Malaysia)
3 April 1977 South Korea  1–0  Japan Seoul, Korea Republic
Cha Bum-Kun  84' (pen) Referee: Zainal Abidin (Malaysia)

Korea Republic advanced to the Final Round.

Group 3
Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1  Iran 8440080+8
2  Saudi Arabia 2410337−4
3  Syria 2410326−4
—  Iraq withdrew
12 November 1976 Saudi Arabia  2–0  Syria Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Al Fahad  22'
Bo Saeed  54'		 Referee: Dörflinger (Switzerland)
26 November 1976 Syria  2–1  Saudi Arabia Damascus, Syria
Al Katbi  36'
Khouri  82'		 Ghani  44' Referee: Babacan (Turkey)
7 January 1977 Saudi Arabia  0–3  Iran Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Mazloumi  16', 78'
Roshan  62'		 Referee: Linemayr (Austria)
28 January 1977 Syria  0–1  Iran Damascus, Syria
(Report) Parvin  36' Stadium: Abbasiyyin Stadium
Attendance: 22,000
Referee: Robert Fratz (France)
6 April 1977 Iran  2 – 0
(w/o)		  Syria Shiraz, Iran
Forfeited
22 April 1977 Iran  2–0  Saudi Arabia Shiraz, Iran
Yousifi  10'
Shareefi  84'		 Referee: Dörflinger (Switzerland)

Iran advanced to the Final Round.

Group 4
Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1  Kuwait 84400102+8
2  Bahrain 2410346−2
3  Qatar 2410339−6
—  United Arab Emirates withdrew
11 March 1977 Bahrain  0–2  Kuwait Doha, Qatar
Kameel  5'
Yaqoub  21'		 Referee: Partridge (England)
13 March 1977 Qatar  2–0  Bahrain Doha, Qatar
Bekhit  40'
Al Suwaidi  62'		 Referee: Hungerbühler (Switzerland)
15 March 1977 Qatar  0–2  Kuwait Doha, Qatar
Yaqoub  28'
Al-Anberi  68'		 Referee: Ohmsen (West Germany)
17 March 1977 Bahrain  1–2  Kuwait Doha, Qatar
Shaqr  73' Al-Anberi  33'
Al Duraihem  56' (pen)		 Referee: Lattana (Italy)
19 March 1977 Qatar  0–3  Bahrain Doha, Qatar
Shaqr  32'
Zowayed  57'
Al Farhan  73' (pen)		 Referee: Partridge (England)
21 March 1977 Qatar  1–4  Kuwait Doha, Qatar
Abubakr  82' (pen) Yaqoub  10'
Ma'yoof  16'
Al Saleh  24'
Bo Hamad  60'		 Referee: Lattanzi (Italy)

Kuwait advanced to the Final Round.

Group 5
Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1  Australia 7431093+6
2  New Zealand 54211144+10
3  Taiwan 04004117−16
13 March 1977 Australia  3–0  Taiwan Suva, Fiji[3]
Rooney  8', 46'
Abonyi  16'		 Referee: Promakash (Thailand)
16 March 1977 Taiwan  1–2  Australia Suva, Fiji[4]
Chang Kuo Chi  29' Kosmina  35'
Abonyi  58'		 Referee: Getkaew (Thailand)
20 March 1977 New Zealand  6–0  Taiwan Auckland, New Zealand
Nelson  4', 6', 60'
Campbell  16'
Taylor  42'
Weymouth  74'		 Referee: Suppiah (Singapore)
23 March 1977 Taiwan  0–6  New Zealand Auckland, New Zealand[5]
Nelson  10', 74'
Sumner  15', 51', 55'
Lo Chih Tsong  71' (o.g.)		 Referee: Dhillon (Singapore)
27 March 1977 Australia  3–1  New Zealand Sydney, Australia
Ollerton  60', 80'
Kosmina  72'		 Nelson  4' Referee: Chan Tam Sun (Hong Kong)
30 March 1977 New Zealand  1–1  Australia Auckland, New Zealand
Nelson  34' Ollerton  18' Referee: Cheung Kwok Kui (Hong Kong)

Australia advanced to the Final Round.

Final round
Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1  Iran 148620123+9
2  South Korea 108341128+4
3  Kuwait 98413138+5
4  Australia 78314118+3
5  Hong Kong 08008526−21
19 June 1977 Hong Kong  0–2  Iran Government Stadium, Hong Kong
Kazerani  22'
Jahani  77'		 Referee: Gussoni, (Italy)
26 June 1977 Hong Kong  0–1  South Korea Hong Kong
Cha Bum-Kun  81' Referee: Biwersi (West Germany)
3 July 1977 South Korea  0–0  Iran Busan Gudeok Stadium, Busan, Korea Republic
Referee: Fute (Scotland)
10 July 1977 Australia  3–0  Hong Kong Adelaide, Australia
Kosmina  28', 84'
Barnes  46'		 Referee: Hungerbühler (Switzerland)
14 August 1977 Australia  0–1  Iran Olympic Park Stadium, Melbourne, Australia
Roshan  70' Referee: Wöhrer (Austria)
27 August 1977 Australia  2–1  South Korea Sydney, Australia
Kosmina  63', 75' Cha Bum-Kun  23' Referee: Keizer (Netherlands)
2 October 1977 Hong Kong  1–3  Kuwait Hong Kong
Chung Chor Wai  9' Al-Dakhil  35'
Yaqoub  52'
Bo Hamad  72'		 Referee: Martinez (Spain)
9 October 1977 South Korea  1–0  Kuwait Seoul, Korea Republic
Park Sang-In  59' Referee: Ciacci (Italy)
16 October 1977 Australia  1–2  Kuwait Sydney, Australia
Rooney  83' Kameel  42'
Al-Anberi  49'		 Referee: Vautrot (France)
23 October 1977 South Korea  0–0  Australia Seoul, Korea Republic
Referee: Eriksson (Sweden)
28 October 1977 Iran  1–0  Kuwait Aryamehr Stadium, Tehran, Iran
Jahani  48' Referee: Thomas (Wales)
30 October 1977 Hong Kong  2–5  Australia Hong Kong
Tang Hung Cheong  65'
Chung Chor Wai  80'		 Ollerton  19', 31', 65'
Abonyi  39' (pen)
Bennett  85'		 Referee: Ponnet (Belgium)
5 November 1977 Kuwait  2–2  South Korea Kuwait City, Kuwait
Al-Dakhil  47'
Bo Abbas  76'		 Cha Bum-Kun  18'
Choi Jong-Duk  82'		 Referee: Dubach (Switzerland)
11 November 1977 Iran  2–2  South Korea Aryamehr Stadium, Tehran, Iran
Roshan  52', 68' Lee Young-Moo  28', 88' Referee: Partridge (England)
12 November 1977 Kuwait  4–0  Hong Kong Kuwait City, Kuwait
Al-Dakhil  3', 17'
Al-Anberi  45'
Kameel  80'		 Referee: Victor (Luxembourg)
18 November 1977 Iran  3–0  Hong Kong Aryamehr Stadium, Tehran, Iran
Jahani  3', 35'
Kazerani  19'		 Referee: Raus (Yugoslavia)
19 November 1977 Kuwait  1–0  Australia Kuwait City, Kuwait
Al-Dakhil  52' Referee: Bucek (Austria)
25 November 1977 Iran  1–0  Australia Aryamehr Stadium, Tehran, Iran
Jahani  44' Referee: Kitabdjian (France)
3 December 1977 Kuwait  1–2  Iran Kuwait City, Kuwait
Al-Dakhil  14' Fariba  48'
Khabiri  59'		 Referee: Wright (Northern Ireland)
4 December 1977 South Korea  5–2  Hong Kong Seoul, Korea Republic
Kim Ho-Kon  22'
Huh Jung-Moo  43'
Kim Jae-Han  76', 81', 89'		 Kwok Ka Ming  49'
Chan Fat Chi  79'		 Referee: Aldinger (West Germany)

Iran qualified.

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. Both matches between Australia and Taiwan were played on neutral ground.
  4. Both matches between Australia and Taiwan were played on neutral ground.
  5. Taiwan played its "home" match against New Zealand away instead.
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