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AFC Asian Cup qualifiers

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The AFC Asian Cup qualification[n 1] is the process that a national association football team goes through to qualify for the final tournament of AFC Asian Cup. The qualification reduces the large field of eligible entrants from 47 to just 24 for the finals.

AFC Asian Cup qualifiers
Founded1956
RegionAsia and Australia (AFC)
Number of teams46 (currently eligible)
47 (overall)
Qualifier forAFC Asian Cup
WebsiteOfficial website
2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification

The hosts receive automatic berths, and between 1972 and 2015 (except 1976), so did the defending champions.

Format evolution

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Over the past century, the AFC Asian Cup has seen various changes in its qualification format as well as the number of teams participating.

Number of teams entering qualification
 
1956 		 
1960 		 
1964 		 
1968 		 
1972 		 
1976 		 
1980 		 
1984 		 
1988 		 
1992 		 
1996 		 
2000 		 
2004 		 
 
 
 
2007 		 
2011 		 
2015 		 
2019 		 
2023 		 
2027
Total entrants 19 18 18 19 26 31 31 30 24 22 35 42 43 25 27 20 46 46 47
Played at least one match 6 10 4 14 13 15 17 21 20 20 33 24 24 45 46
Qualified via qualification 2 3 1 3 5 3 9 8 8 6 10 10 14 12 10 11 23 23 23
Qualified without playing 2[a] 1 3[b] 2[a] 1 3[b] 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 4 6 5 0[c] 0[c] 0[c]
Total finalists 4 4 4 4 6 6 10 10 10 8 12 12 16 16 16 16 24 24 24
  1. ^ a b 1 team qualified by walkover
  2. ^ a b 2 teams qualified by walkover
  3. ^ a b c The host qualified automatically for the Asian Cup but participated in the qualification as a World Cup qualifier.

1956

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The 19 teams were divided in to three different zones based upon their location. In each zone, the teams played in a two legged Knockout format. The four winners of first round advanced to the next round. The two winners in the second round advanced to final which decided the team participating in the final tournament along with the hosts.

1960–1972

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From 1960, the format had a slight change. The participating teams were again divided into zones based upon their location. The teams in their zones played against each other once, in a round robin format. The group topper of each zone advanced to the final tournament along with the hosts.

1972–1980

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Starting from 1972, the format saw another change. Instead of zones, the teams were now divided into groups, with two teams instead of one advancing to the final tournament along with the hosts. Also the number of teams participating in the final tournament was increased to six and then to ten in 1980.

1984 & 1988

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For a brief period, the teams were divided into groups not based on their location. This saw teams from all zones competing against each other in Asian Cup qualifiers for the first time since its inception. Two teams from each group qualified for the final tournament, along with the winners of previous edition who received a direct entry and as well as the hosts.

1992–2000

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The format was reverted to an older one where teams were segregated based upon their location, but this time the number of participating nations increased. Winners of previous edition and the hosts were joined by the winner of each groups in qualifiers. The number of participants in the final tournament was increased to 12.

2004 & 2007

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The tournament started from the preliminary round where the lower ranked teams played against each other, the winners of this round qualified for the qualifying round. In the qualifying round, top two teams from each group qualified for the final tournament. Participation of teams in the final tournament increased from 12 to 16.

2011 & 2015

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The hosts, previous edition's winners, runner-up and third placed sides automatically qualified for the final tournament. AFC Challenge Cup winners(2) were also awarded a slot in the final tournament. The remaining ten slots were decided by the qualifying tournament in which the lower ranked teams played in preliminary rounds and the winners advanced to the qualifying round. In the qualifying round, the top two teams from each group received a berth in the final tournament.

2019–present

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The proposal to merge the preliminary qualification rounds for FIFA World Cup qualifiers with those for the Asian Cup was ratified by the AFC Competitions Committee.[1]

The tournament was expanded to 24 teams from previous number of 16.

The qualification structure is as follows:[1][2]

  • First round: A total of 12 teams (teams ranked 35–46) played home-and-away over two legs. The six winners advanced to the second round.
  • Second round: A total of 40 teams (teams ranked 1–34 and six first round winners) were divided into eight groups of five teams to play home-and-away round-robin matches.
    • The eight group winners and the four best group runners-up advanced to the third round of FIFA World Cup qualification as well as qualified for the AFC Asian Cup finals.
    • The next 16 highest ranked teams (the remaining four group runners-up, the eight third-placed teams and the four best group fourth-placed teams) advanced directly to the third round of Asian Cup qualification.
    • The remaining 12 teams entered the play-off round to contest the remaining eight spots in the third round of Asian Cup qualification.[3]
  • Play-off round: At a Competition Committee meeting in November 2014, it was decided that a play-off round of qualifying would be introduced into the qualification procedure.[4] There were two rounds of home-and-away two-legged play-off matches to determine the final eight qualifiers for the third round.
  • Third round: The 24 teams were divided into six groups of four to play home-and-away round-robin matches, and they competed for the remaining slots of the AFC Asian Cup.

The play-off round represented a change from the initially announced qualification format – which saw the remaining fourth-placed teams and the four best group fifth-placed teams also advance to the third round.[1]

Participating teams

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Only teams that played at least one match are considered for the purposes of first appearance. Teams that withdrew prior to the qualification, or that qualified to the AFC Asian Cup by walkover due to other teams' withdrawals, are not considered.

First appearance in qualification by team
Year Debuting teams Successor teams Renamed teams
Teams No. CT
1956   Cambodia[A],   Malaya[B],   Philippines,   Republic of China[C],   South Korea,   South Vietnam[D] 6 6
1960   Hong Kong[a],   India[b],   Iran[b],   Israel[c],   Pakistan[b],   Singapore[b] 6 12
1964   Thailand[d] 1 13   Malaysia[B]
1968   Burma[e][E],   Indonesia[f],   Japan[e] 3 16
1972   Bahrain,   Brunei,   Ceylon[g][F],   Iraq,   Jordan,   Kuwait[h],   Lebanon,   Syria 8 24   Khmer Republic[A]
1976   Afghanistan[i],   China,   North Korea,   Qatar,   Saudi Arabia 5 29
1980   Bangladesh[j],   Macau,   United Arab Emirates 3 32   Sri Lanka[F]
1984     Nepal[k],   North Yemen[G],   Oman 3 35
1988   South Yemen[l] 1 36
1992 None 0 36   Chinese Taipei[C]
1996   Guam,   Kazakhstan,   Kyrgyzstan,   Maldives[m],   Tajikistan,   Turkmenistan,   Uzbekistan 7 43   Yemen[G]
  Vietnam[D] 		  Myanmar[E]
2000   Bhutan,   Laos[k],   Mongolia,   Palestine 4 47   Cambodia[A]
2004   East Timor 1 48
2007   Australia 1 49
2011 None 0 49
2015 None 0 49
2019 None 0 49
2023 None 0 49
2027 None 0 49
Teams' entries prior to their actual debuts in qualification
  1. ^ Qualified automatically for the 1956 Asian Cup as host.
  2. ^ a b c d Withdrew from the 1956 qualification before playing.
  3. ^ Qualified by walkover for the 1956 finals.
  4. ^ Withdrew from the 1956 and 1960 qualification before playing.
  5. ^ a b Withdrew from the 1956, 1960 and 1964 qualifications before playing.
  6. ^ Withdrew from the 1956 and 1964 qualification before playing. In 1960 Indonesia declined to participate due to an AFC membership dispute
  7. ^ Withdrew from the 1956, 1960, 1964 and 1968 qualifications before playing.
  8. ^ Withdrew from the 1968 qualification before playing.
  9. ^ Withdrew from the 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968 and 1972 qualifications before playing.
  10. ^ Withdrew from the 1976 qualification before playing.
  11. ^ a b Withdrew from the 1972, 1976 and 1980 qualifications before playing.
  12. ^ Qualified automatically for the 1976 finals. Withdrew from the 1980 and 1984 qualifications before playing.
  13. ^ Withdrew from the 1992 qualification before playing.
Successor and renamed teams
  1. ^ a b c Cambodia was renamed as Khmer Republic in the 1972 qualification, then entered the 1980 qualification as   Democratic Kampuchea but withdrew, and in the 2000 qualification again using the name Cambodia
  2. ^ a b Malaya was succeeded by Malaysia from the 1964 qualification.
  3. ^ a b The Republic of China became officially known as Chinese Taipei from the 1992 qualification.
  4. ^ a b South Vietnam was succeeded by Vietnam from the 1996 qualification.
  5. ^ a b Burma was renamed as Myanmar from the 1996 qualification.
  6. ^ a b Ceylon was renamed as Sri Lanka from the 1980 qualification.
  7. ^ a b North Yemen was succeeded by Yemen from the 1994 qualification.

Team records

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The below table compares the overall records of all teams that have participated in qualification. Teams are ordered by points using the three points for a win system, then by goal difference, and then by goals scored. Note that this order does not represent any official rankings, and qualification tournaments are not direct competitions among all teams.

The "Qualifying attempts" column only counts qualifying campaigns where the team played at least one match, while the "Appearances in the finals" also include automatic qualifiers.

As per statistical convention in football, matches decided in extra time are counted as wins and losses, while matches decided by penalty shoot-outs are counted as draws.

Key
Team has qualified for the main tournament through a qualifying process
Team has qualified for the main tournament only automatically as host
Team has not qualified for the main tournament
Team is not a member of AFC but has qualified for the main tournament
Defunct team has qualified for the main tournament only by walkover
Team is not a member of AFC and is not eligible for the main tournament

Teams in bold are currently participating or are yet to start in the 2027 qualification. The table is updated to the matches played after 2023 qualification.

No. Team Qualifying attempts Appearances
in the finals 		Overall qualification record Points
Total Successful Pld W D L GF GA GD Points Avg
1   Iran 12 11 15 69 52 10 7 209 37 +172 166 2.406
2   China 12 12 13 60 41 11 8 178 26 +152 134 2.233
3   Qatar 11 9 11 58 41 7 10 134 38 +96 130 2.241
4   South Korea 13 10 15 56 41 6 9 186 24 +162 129 2.304
5   Thailand 15 8 8 81 38 15 28 155 107 +48 129 1.593
6   United Arab Emirates 11 10 11 56 40 8 8 155 34 +121 128 2.286
7   Syria 13 7 7 67 38 11 18 134 67 +67 125 1.866
8   Saudi Arabia 8 8 11 48 39 6 3 152 21 +131 123 2.563
9   Oman 10 5 5 61 36 7 18 140 60 +80 115 1.885
10   Jordan 11 5 5 64 33 15 16 113 52 +61 114 1.781
11   Bahrain 11 7 7 65 34 9 22 100 60 +40 111 1.708
12   Japan 8 6 10 44 35 4 5 138 19 +119 109 2.477
13   Iraq 9 9 10 49 33 10 6 102 36 +66 109 2.224
14   Kuwait 11 7 10 61 30 17 14 134 58 +76 107 1.754
15   Malaysia 17 3 4 79 30 15 34 144 130 +14 105 1.329
16   Uzbekistan 8 8 8 47 33 5 9 112 39 +73 104 2.212
17   Hong Kong 17 3 4 90 27 23 40 115 131 –16 104 1.155
18   Vietnam 12 4 5 63 27 11 25 113 91 +22 92 1.460
19   North Korea 7 6 5 45 23 11 11 70 48 +22 80 1.777
20   Indonesia 13 4 5 64 21 12 31 96 103 –7 75 1.171
21   Lebanon 8 2 3 52 21 10 21 74 71 +3 73 1.403
22   India 11 3 5 63 19 11 33 73 106 –33 68 1.079
23   Singapore 13 0 1 74 19 11 44 81 141 –60 68 0.918
24   Australia 4 4 5 26 21 2 3 70 13 +57 65 2.500
25   Yemen 10 1 1 70 17 13 40 75 139 –64 64 0.914
26   Turkmenistan 5 2 2 37 18 5 14 58 53 +5 59 1.567
27   Palestine 5 2 3 40 17 6 17 78 46 +32 57 1.425
28   Tajikistan 5 1 1 38 16 7 15 57 56 +1 55 1.447
29   Myanmar 6 1 1 45 16 5 24 60 120 –60 53 1.177
30   Kyrgyzstan 5 2 2 34 15 5 14 58 50 +8 50 1.470
31   Chinese Taipei 10 2 2 56 14 3 39 72 148 –76 45 0.803
32   Cambodia 6 1 1 47 12 5 30 44 140 –96 41 0.872
33   Philippines 9 1 1 45 11 7 27 45 116 –71 40 0.888
34   Afghanistan 6 0 0 41 6 10 25 34 109 –75 28 0.682
35   Bangladesh 9 1 1 53 5 13 37 33 140 –107 28 0.528
36   Maldives 6 0 0 45 8 3 34 40 134 –94 27 0.600
37   Sri Lanka 8 0 0 42 8 1 33 30 132 –102 25 0.595
38   Mongolia 4 0 0 20 7 1 12 20 41 –21 22 1.100
39   Macau 7 0 0 24 5 2 17 22 55 –33 17 0.708
40   Bhutan 4 0 0 32 5 2 25 22 166 –144 17 0.531
41   Pakistan 11 0 0 39 4 4 31 23 105 –82 16 0.410
42     Nepal 7 0 0 39 4 2 33 14 158 –144 14 0.358
43   Kazakhstan 2 0 0 8 4 0 4 9 9 0 12 1.500
44   Laos 4 0 0 19 3 3 13 13 62 –49 12 0.631
45   Israel 1 1 4 6 3 2 1 10 8 +2 11 1.833
46   Guam 5 0 0 26 3 1 24 13 122 –109 10 0.384
47   Brunei 6 0 0 15 2 1 12 6 59 –53 7 0.466
48   South Yemen 1 0 1 3 0 1 2 1 4 –3 1 0.333
49   East Timor 3 0 0 18 0 0 18 6 78 –72 0 0.000

Teams yet to qualify for the finals tournament

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Legend

  •  •  – Did not qualify
  •  ×  – Did not enter / Withdrew / Banned

For each tournament, the number of teams in each finals tournament are shown (in parentheses).

Team (14) 1956
(4) 		1960
(4) 		1964
(4) 		1968
(5) 		1972
(6) 		1976
(6) 		1980
(8) 		1984
(8) 		1988
(8) 		1992
(8) 		1996
(12) 		2000
(12) 		2004
(16) 		2007
(16) 		2011
(16) 		2015
(16) 		2019
(24) 		2023
(24) 		2027
(24) 		Attempts
  Afghanistan × × × × × • • • × × × × • × • • • • 8
  Bhutan × × × × × × × × × × × • • × • • • • 6
  Brunei × × × × • • × × × × × • • × • × • • 7
  East Timor Part of   Portugal Part of   Indonesia × • × × × • ×[a] 2
  Guam × × × × × × × × × × • • • × • • × • × 6
  Kazakhstan[b] Part of   Soviet Union • • UEFA member 2
  Laos × × × × × × × × × × × • • × × • • • 5
  Macau × × × × × × • × × • • • • × • • • • • 9
  Maldives Part of   UK × × × × × × × • • • × • • • • 7
  Mongolia Not AFC member • • × • • • • • 6
    Nepal Not AFC member × × × • • × • • • × • • • • 9
  Northern Mariana Islands Not AFC member × • × × × 1
  Pakistan × • × • × × × • • • • • • • • • • • 13
  Sri Lanka × × × × • × • • × × • • • × • • • • 10

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ The notation used in the logo for the qualifiers is "AFC Asian Qualifiers"
  1. ^ East Timor were banned from qualifying for the 2023 Asian Cup for using 12 ineligible players between 2011 and 2017 and providing false documents.[5]
  2. ^ Kazakhstan played in two qualification competitions before join to UEFA in 2002, but had never qualified for the Asian Cup.

References

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  1. ^ a b c "ExCo approves expanded AFC Asian Cup finals". AFC. 16 April 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
  2. ^ "AFC Asian Cup 2019 Competition Regulations". AFC.
  3. ^ "World Cup draw looms large in Asia". FIFA.com. 13 April 2015. Archived from the original on 16 April 2015. Completing the tournament's qualifying contenders will be the next 16 highest ranked teams, with the remaining 12 sides battling it out in play-off matches to claim the last eight spots.
  4. ^ "AFC Competitions Committee meeting". Asian Football Confederation. 28 November 2014. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
  5. ^ "Federacao Futebol Timor-Leste expelled from AFC Asian Cup 2023". The-AFC.com. AFC. 20 January 2017. Archived from the original on 1 September 2018. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
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