# 1996 AFC Asian Cup qualification

The 1996 AFC Asian Cup qualification involved 33 participating teams. The United Arab Emirates (hosts) and Japan (holders) qualified automatically for the 1996 AFC Asian Cup.

## Qualification
### Group 1

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| South Korea | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | +17 | 9 |
| Vietnam | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 5 | +8 | 6 |
| Chinese Taipei | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 3 |
| Guam | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 27 | −25 | 0 |
* All matches played in Vietnam.

### Group 2

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| China | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 | +15 | 9 |
| Hong Kong | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 3 | +9 | 6 |
| Macau | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 12 | −5 | 3 |
| Philippines | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 20 | −19 | 0 |
* All matches played in Hong Kong.

### Group 3

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Thailand | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 31 | 5 | +26 | 14 |
| Singapore | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 7 | +9 | 12 |
| Myanmar | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 20 | −9 | 7 |
| Maldives | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 30 | −26 | 0 |
* All matches played in Singapore and Thailand in a double round-robin format.

### Group 4

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Indonesia | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | +6 | 4 |
| Malaysia | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 4 |
| India | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 12 | −9 | 0 |
* All matches played in Malaysia

### Group 5

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Iran | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 1 | +26 | 18 |
| Oman | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 23 | 5 | +18 | 12 |
| Sri Lanka | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 25 | −20 | 6 |
| Nepal | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 26 | −24 | 0 |
* All matches played in Iran and Oman in a double round-robin format.

### Group 6

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Iraq | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 6 |
| Jordan | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 3 |
| Pakistan | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | −7 | 0 |
* Bangladesh withdrew
* All matches played in Jordan

### Group 7

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Syria | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 9 |
| Qatar | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 6 |
| Kazakhstan | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | −5 | 3 |
* All matches played on a home and away double round-robin format.

### Group 8

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Uzbekistan | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 3 |
| Tajikistan | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 3 |
* Bahrain withdrew
Uzbekistan won 5–4 on aggregate.

### Group 9

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Saudi Arabia | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | +10 | 12 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | −4 | 3 |
| Yemen | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 8 | −6 | 3 |
* All matched played in Saudi Arabia

### Group 10

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Kuwait | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 5 | +4 | 8 |
| Lebanon | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 6 | +1 | 7 |
| Turkmenistan | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 8 | −5 | 1 |
* All matches played on a home and away double round-robin format.

## Qualified teams

| Team | Qualified as | Qualified on | Previous appearance |
| United Arab Emirates | Hosts | 29 April 1993 | 4 (1980, 1984, 1988, 1992) |
| Japan | 1992 AFC Asian Cup champions | 8 November 1992 | 2 (1988, 1992) |
| South Korea | Group 1 winners | 11 August 1996 | 7 (1956, 1960, 1964, 1972, 1980, 1984, 1988) |
| China | Group 2 winners | 4 February 1996 | 5 (1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992) |
| Thailand | Group 3 winners | 9 July 1996 | 2 (1972, 1992) |
| Indonesia | Group 4 winners | 4 March 1996 | 0 (debut) |
| Iran | Group 5 winners | 21 June 1996 | 7 (1968, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992) |
| Iraq | Group 6 winners | 13 August 1996 | 2 (1972, 1976) |
| Syria | Group 7 winners | 19 July 1996 | 3 (1980, 1984, 1988) |
| Uzbekistan | Group 8 winners | 19 June 1996 | 0 (debut) |
| Saudi Arabia | Group 9 winners | 2 February 1996 | 3 (1984, 1988, 1992) |
| Kuwait | Group 10 winners | 20 June 1996 | 5 (1972, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988) |