Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's Asian Qualifiers

The Asian Football Confederation's Pre-Olympic Tournament was held from 20 May 1995 to 27 March 1996. Twenty-five teams entered the qualification for the three allocated spots for the 1996 Summer Olympics Football tournament in Atlanta.

Football at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's Asian Qualifiers
Tournament details
Dates20 May 1995 – 27 March 1996
Teams25 (from 1 confederation)
1992
2000

The qualification saw Korea Republic, Japan and Saudi Arabia winning their final round groups and qualifying to the Olympics.

Format

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Asian berths for the final is 3.

First round
25 teams were grouped into 8 groups, where each group would consist of home and away round-robin tournament. The winners of each group would qualify to the second round. One group was consist of 4 teams, and the other 7 groups were each consist of 3 teams.
Second round
8 teams were grouped into 2 groups of 4 teams each, where each group would consist of round-robin tournament. The top two of each group would qualify to the third round.
Third round
This stage is a single-elimination tournament in which teams play each other in one-off matches, with extra time and penalty shootouts used to decide the winner if necessary. 2 semi-finals were played, Group A winner VS Group B runner-up and Group B winner VS Group A runner-up. This was followed by the third-place match (contested by the losing semi-finalists), and the final. The top three teams would qualify to the finals.

First round

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The first round was played in eight groups held from 20 May 1995 to 29 October 1995. The winner of each group will be promoted to the final round.

Group 1

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Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1   China 4 4 0 0 11 2 +9 12
2   Singapore 4 1 1 2 3 7 -4 4
3   Malaysia 4 0 1 3 1 6 -5 1
Singapore  2–0  Malaysia

China  4–0  Singapore

China  2–1  Malaysia

Malaysia  0–0  Singapore

Malaysia  0–2  China

Singapore  1–3  China

Group 2

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Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1   Japan 4 4 0 0 16 1 +15 12
2   Thailand 4 2 0 2 12 6 +6 6
3   Chinese Taipei 4 0 0 4 1 22 -21 0
Thailand  0–5  Japan

Chinese Taipei  1–4  Japan

Thailand  7–0  Chinese Taipei

Chinese Taipei  0–5  Thailand

Japan  6–0  Chinese Taipei

Japan  1–0  Thailand

Group 3

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Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1   South Korea 4 4 0 0 15 1 +14 12
2   Indonesia 4 2 0 2 6 4 +2 6
3   Hong Kong 4 0 0 4 1 17 -16 0
Hong Kong  0–5  South Korea
Woo Sung-yong   7'
Choi Yong-soo   16'   44' (pen.)
Lee Ki-hyung   48'
Yoon Jong-hwan   68'

Indonesia  1–2  South Korea
Nugroho   65' Choi Yong-soo   42'   50'

Indonesia  1–0  Hong Kong

South Korea  7–0  Hong Kong
Park Choong-kyun   7'
Cho Hyun-doo   30'
Choi Yong-soo   16'   61'   69'   78'
Lee Woo-young   82'

South Korea  1–0  Indonesia
Cho Hyun-doo   41'

Hong Kong  1–4  Indonesia

Group 4

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Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1   Oman 4 4 0 0 13 3 +10 12
2   India 4 2 0 2 8 7 +1 6
3   Pakistan 4 0 0 4 2 13 -11 0
Pakistan  0–2  Oman

Pakistan  1–2  India

Oman  3–2  India

India  3–1  Pakistan

Oman  6–0  Pakistan

India  1–2  Oman

Group 5

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Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1   Kazakhstan 6 5 1 0 19 5 +14 16
2   Uzbekistan 6 3 1 2 12 8 +4 10
3   Tajikistan 6 1 1 4 9 14 -5 4
4   Kyrgyzstan 6 1 1 4 9 22 -13 4
Kyrgyzstan  1–5  Uzbekistan

Tajikistan  0–3  Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan  2–2  Kazakhstan

Uzbekistan  2–0  Tajikistan

Uzbekistan  1–2  Kazakhstan

Tajikistan  3–0  Kyrgyzstan

Uzbekistan  2–1  Kyrgyzstan

Kazakhstan  3–1  Tajikistan

Kazakhstan  6–0  Kyrgyzstan

Tajikistan  1–1  Uzbekistan

Kyrgyzstan  5–4  Tajikistan

Kazakhstan  3–1  Uzbekistan

Group 6

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Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1   Saudi Arabia 4 3 1 0 4 0 +4 10
2   Kuwait 4 1 2 1 3 3 0 5
3   Syria 4 0 1 3 2 6 -4 1
Saudi Arabia  2–0  Syria

Kuwait  0–1  Saudi Arabia

Syria  0–1  Kuwait

Syria  0–1  Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia  0–0  Kuwait

Kuwait  2–2  Syria

Group 7

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Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1   United Arab Emirates 4 2 2 0 5 3 +2 8
2   Iran 4 2 1 1 9 4 +5 7
3   Turkmenistan 4 0 1 3 4 11 -7 1
Turkmenistan  2–4  Iran

United Arab Emirates  2–1  Turkmenistan

Iran  1–1  United Arab Emirates

Iran  4–0  Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan  1–1  United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates  1–0  Iran

Group 8

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Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1   Iraq 4 2 2 0 8 3 +5 8
2   Qatar 4 2 1 1 8 6 +2 7
3   Jordan 4 0 1 3 4 11 -7 1
Jordan  1–2  Qatar

Qatar  0–0  Iraq

Jordan  0–4  Iraq
Chathir  ,  
Fawzi  
Wahaib  

Qatar  4–2  Jordan

Iraq  3–2  Qatar
Chathir  ,  
Ali  

Iraq  1–1  Jordan
Ali  

Second round

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The second round and the third round of the Olympic Qualifiers (U-23 teams) are being played in Malaysia from 16 to 27 March 1996. Three of the four semifinal entrants will qualify for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, USA.

Group A

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Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1   Japan 3 2 1 0 6 2 +4 7
2   Iraq 3 2 1 0 5 2 +3 7
3   Oman 3 1 0 2 4 6 -2 3
4   United Arab Emirates 3 0 0 3 2 7 -5 0
Iraq  1–1  Japan
Wahaib   58'

United Arab Emirates  1–3  Oman

Iraq  3–1  United Arab Emirates
Wahaib   31'
Fawzi   51'
Chathir   89'

Japan  4–1  Oman

Japan  1–0  United Arab Emirates

Iraq  1–0  Oman
Chathir   62'

Group B

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Rank Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1   South Korea 3 2 1 0 6 2 +4 7
2   Saudi Arabia 3 1 2 0 6 2 +4 5
3   China 3 1 1 1 5 6 -1 4
4   Kazakhstan 3 0 0 3 3 10 -7 0
Kazakhstan  2–4  China

South Korea  1–1  Saudi Arabia
Yoon Jong-hwan   21' Al-Dossary   39'

Kazakhstan  1–2  South Korea
Grokhovskiy   2' Lee Ki-hyung   59'
Woo Sung-yong   89'

China  1–1  Saudi Arabia

China  0–3  South Korea
Lee Ki-hyung   36'
Lee Woo-young   57'   67'

Kazakhstan  0–4  Saudi Arabia

Third round

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Semifinals

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Japan  2–1  Saudi Arabia

South Korea  2–1  Iraq
Choi Yong-soo   19'   30' Salem   89'

Third place play-off

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Saudi Arabia  1–0  Iraq

Final

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South Korea  2–1  Japan
Lee Sang-hun   79'
Choi Yong-soo   83' (pen.)
Jo   81'

South Korea, Japan and Saudi Arabia qualified to the 1996 Summer Olympics Football tournament in Atlanta.