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.
Format
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 advanced to the second round.
- Second 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 qualified for the World Cup. The runners-up advanced to the third round.
- Third round: The two teams played against each other once in Malaysia. The winner qualify for the World Cup. The loser advanced to the AFCâÂÂOFC intercontinental play-offs.
First round
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Group 4
Group 5
Group 6
Group 7
Group 8
Group 9
Group 10
Second round
Group A
Group B
Third round
- The third round (play-off) was played over a single leg at a neutral venue.
- Extra time was played using the golden goal rule.
Inter-confederation play-offs
3âÂÂ3 on aggregate, Iran won on away goals
Qualified teams
The following four teams from AFC qualified for the final tournament.
<div id="1"><sup>1</sup> Bold indicates champions for that year. Italic indicates hosts for that year.</div>
Goalscorers
There were 459 goals scored in 132 matches (including 2 international play-offs), for an average of 3.53 goals per match.
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
External links