1990 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC first round
The AFC first round of 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification was decided by a draw which was conducted in Zürich, Switzerland, on 12 December 1987. The round began on 6 January 1989 and finished on 29 July 1989.
The top countries in each group at the end of the stage progressed to the final round, where the six remaining teams competed for the two places at the final tournament.
Format
The Maldives withdrew before the final draw, leaving 25 teams to be divided into 6 groups of 4 or 5 teams each. The teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis, except in Group 4, where the teams played against each other twice but all games were held in South Korea and Singapore. The group winners would advance to the Final Round. Bahrain, India, and South Yemen withdrew after the draw, meaning a total of 22 teams competed.
Groups
Group 1
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | QAT | IRQ | JOR | OMA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|  Qatar | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 3 | +5 | 9 | — | 1 – 0 | 1 – 0 | 3 – 0 | |
| .svg.png) Iraq | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 5 | +6 | 8 | 2 – 2 | — | 4 – 0 | 3 – 1 | |
|  Jordan | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 7 | −2 | 5 | 1 – 1 | 0 – 1 | — | 2 – 0 | |
| .svg.png) Oman | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 11 | −9 | 2 | 0 – 0 | 1 – 1 | 0 – 2 | — | 
| Oman .svg.png) | 0–0 |  Qatar | 
|---|---|---|
| Oman .svg.png) | 0–2 |  Jordan | 
|---|---|---|
| Al-Dawoud  49' Awad  66' | 
Group 2
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | KSA | SYR | NYE | BHR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|  Saudi Arabia | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 4 | +3 | 7 | — | 5 – 4 | 1 – 0 | X – X | |
| %252C_Flag_of_Syria_(1980%E2%80%932024).svg.png) Syria | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 5 | 0 – 0 | — | 2 – 0 | X – X | |
|  North Yemen | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | −5 | 0 | 0 – 1 | 0 – 1 | — | X – X | |
| .svg.png) Bahrain | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X – X | X – X | X – X | — | 
| North Yemen  | 0 – 1 | %252C_Flag_of_Syria_(1980%E2%80%932024).svg.png) Syria | 
|---|---|---|
| (Report) | Mahrous  44' | 
| Saudi Arabia  | 5 – 4 | %252C_Flag_of_Syria_(1980%E2%80%932024).svg.png) Syria | 
|---|---|---|
| Al-Bishi  13' Al-Jam'an  44', 75' Al-Thunayan  50' Abdullah  69' | (Report) | Jakalan  30' Al-Nasser  61' Helou  70' Mahrous  85' | 
| North Yemen  | 0 – 1 |  Saudi Arabia | 
|---|---|---|
| (Report) | Madani  79' | 
| Syria %252C_Flag_of_Syria_(1980%E2%80%932024).svg.png) | 2 – 0 |  North Yemen | 
|---|---|---|
| El-Sel  41' Mahrous  48' | (Report) | 
| Saudi Arabia  | 1 – 0 |  North Yemen | 
|---|---|---|
| Abdullah  44' | (Report) | 
Group 3
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | UAE | KUW | PAK | SYE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|  United Arab Emirates | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 4 | +8 | 6 | — | 1 – 0 | 5 – 0 | X – X | |
|  Kuwait | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 6 | 3 – 2 | — | 2 – 0 | X – X | |
|  Pakistan | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 12 | −11 | 0 | 1 – 4 | 0 – 1 | — | X – X | |
|  South Yemen | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X – X | X – X | X – X | — | 
| Kuwait  | 3 – 2 |  United Arab Emirates | 
|---|---|---|
| Al-Sovayed  26' Al-Hasawi  75', 84' | Bakhit  54', 69' | 
| United Arab Emirates  | 5 – 0 |  Pakistan | 
|---|---|---|
| A. Ibrahim  1', 25' Khalid Ismaïl  64' Abdulrahman Mohamed  78' Abdulaziz Mohamed  85' | 
| Kuwait  | 2 – 0 |  Pakistan | 
|---|---|---|
| Al-Hadyah  42', 78' | 
| United Arab Emirates  | 1 – 0 |  Kuwait | 
|---|---|---|
| Al-Talyani  62' | 
| Pakistan  | 1 – 4 |  United Arab Emirates | 
|---|---|---|
| Sharafat  81' | Khalid Ismaïl  7' A. Ibrahim  26' Al-Talyani  27' Abdulaziz Mohamed  70' | 
Group 4
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | KOR | MAS | SIN | NEP | IND | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .svg.png) South Korea | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 | +25 | 12 | — | 3 – 0 | 3 – 0 | 9 – 0 | X – X | |
|  Malaysia | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 0 – 3 | — | 1 – 0 | 3 – 0 | X – X | |
|  Singapore | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 9 | +3 | 5 | 0 – 3 | 2 – 2 | — | 7 – 0 | X – X | |
|  Nepal | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 28 | −28 | 0 | 0 – 4 | 0 – 2 | 0 – 3 | — | X – X | |
|  India | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X – X | X – X | X – X | X – X | — | 
| Malaysia  | 2 – 0 |  Nepal | 
|---|---|---|
| Azizol  2' Dollah Salleh  90' (pen.) | 
| South Korea .svg.png) | 3 – 0 |  Singapore | 
|---|---|---|
| Hwang Sun-Hong  7', 20' Chung Hae-won  89' | 
| Malaysia  | 1 – 0 |  Singapore | 
|---|---|---|
| Dollah Salleh  61' | 
| South Korea .svg.png) | 9 – 0 |  Nepal | 
|---|---|---|
| Chung Yong-hwan  1' Lee Tae-ho  16' (pen.) Choi Sang-kook  24', 48' Kim Yong-se  29', 83' Lee Young-jin  38' Noh Soo-jin  46' Cho Min-kook  87' | 
| Singapore  | 3 – 0 |  Nepal | 
|---|---|---|
| Ahmad Satter  37', 44' Tay Peng Kee  53' | 
| South Korea .svg.png) | 3 – 0 |  Malaysia | 
|---|---|---|
| Choi Soon-ho  5' Hwang Sun-hong  56', 79' | 
| Singapore  | 2 – 2 |  Malaysia | 
|---|---|---|
| Changatamilman  31' Salim  38' | Lim Teong Kim  19' Dollah Salleh  84' | 
| South Korea .svg.png) | 4 – 0 |  Nepal | 
|---|---|---|
| Lee Hak-jong  31' Park Kyung-hoon  41' Kim Yong-se  43' Lee Tae-ho  84' | 
| South Korea .svg.png) | 3 – 0 |  Malaysia | 
|---|---|---|
| Hwang Sun-hong  66' Cho Min-kook  83' Hwangbo Kwan  87' | 
| Singapore  | 0 – 3 | .svg.png) South Korea | 
|---|---|---|
| Kim Yong-se  8' Noh Soo-jin  61', 69' | 
| Malaysia  | 3 – 0 |  Nepal | 
|---|---|---|
| Dollah Salleh  10', 66' Gunalan  81' | 
Group 5
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | CHN | IRN | BAN | THA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|  China | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 3 | +10 | 10 | — | 2 – 0 | 2 – 0 | 2 – 0 | |
|  Iran | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 5 | +7 | 10 | 3 – 2 | — | 1 – 0 | 3 – 0 | |
|  Bangladesh | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 9 | −5 | 2 | 0 – 2 | 1 – 2 | — | 3 – 1 | |
|  Thailand | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 14 | −12 | 2 | 0 – 3 | 0 – 3 | 1 – 0 | — | 
| Thailand  | 1 – 0 |  Bangladesh | 
|---|---|---|
| Piyapong  10' | 
| China  | 2 – 0 |  Bangladesh | 
|---|---|---|
| Wang Baoshan  51' Mai Chao  57' | 
| Thailand  | 0 – 3 |  Iran | 
|---|---|---|
| Bavi  12' Ghayeghran  28' Garousi  87' | 
| Bangladesh  | 1 – 2 |  Iran | 
|---|---|---|
| Aslam  70' | Bavi  44' Ansarifard  50' | 
| Thailand  | 0 – 3 |  China | 
|---|---|---|
| Tang Yaodong  55' Ma Lin  62', 79' | 
| Bangladesh  | 0 – 2 |  China | 
|---|---|---|
| Wang Baoshan  23' Ma Lin  62' | 
| Bangladesh  | 3 – 1 |  Thailand | 
|---|---|---|
| Iqbal  10' Sabbir  28' Rupu  76' | Prasert  79' | 
| Iran  | 1 – 0 |  Bangladesh | 
|---|---|---|
| Marfavi  81' | 
| China  | 2 – 0 |  Iran | 
|---|---|---|
| Liu Haiguang  73' Zhang Xiaowen  87' | 
| China  | 2 – 0 |  Thailand | 
|---|---|---|
| Jia Xiuquan  2' Ma Lin  4' | 
Group 6
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | PRK | JPN | IDN | HKG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .svg.png) North Korea | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 5 | +6 | 9 | — | 2 – 0 | 2 – 1 | 4 – 1 | |
| .svg.png) Japan | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 3 | +4 | 7 | 2 – 1 | — | 5 – 0 | 0 – 0 | |
|  Indonesia | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 10 | −5 | 5 | 0 – 0 | 0 – 0 | — | 3 – 2 | |
| .svg.png) Hong Kong | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 10 | −5 | 3 | 1 – 2 | 0 – 0 | 1 – 1 | — | 
| Indonesia  | 0 – 0 | .svg.png) North Korea | 
|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong .svg.png) | 1 – 2 | .svg.png) North Korea | 
|---|---|---|
| Santos  60' (pen.) | Kim Kwang-min  3' Tak Yong-Bin  4' | 
| Japan .svg.png) | 2 – 1 | .svg.png) North Korea | 
|---|---|---|
| Mizunuma  74' Oh Yong-Nam  88' (o.g.) | Yun Jong-Su  71' | 
| Indonesia  | 3 – 2 | .svg.png) Hong Kong | 
|---|---|---|
| Mustaqim  60' Kiswanto  74', 89' | Nang Yan Leung  11', 64' | 
| North Korea .svg.png) | 2 – 0 | .svg.png) Japan | 
|---|---|---|
| Kim Pung-Il  36' Ri Hyok-chon  84' | 
| North Korea .svg.png) | 4 – 1 | .svg.png) Hong Kong | 
|---|---|---|
| Ri Hyok-chon  18' Han Hyong-Il  29' Kim Pung-Il  80' Chu Gyong-Sik  86' | Bredbury  23' | 
| North Korea .svg.png) | 2 – 1 |  Indonesia | 
|---|---|---|
| Chu Gyong-Sik  40' Han Hyong-Il  64' | Lolumbuman  73' | 
External links
- Asian Zone at FIFA.com