# 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC first round

The AFC first round of 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification was contested between 36 AFC members.
The top country in each group at the end of the stage progressed to the final round, where the ten remaining teams will be divided into two groups of five.

## Group 1

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Saudi Arabia | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 1 | +17 | 16 | Final round |
| 2 | Malaysia | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 11 | |
| 3 | Chinese Taipei | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 13 | −9 | 4 | |
| 4 | Bangladesh | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 14 | −10 | 3 | |

## Group 2

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Iran | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 3 | +36 | 16 | Final round |
| 2 | Syria | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 30 | 5 | +25 | 10 | |
| 3 | Kyrgyzstan | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 14 | −2 | 9 | |
| 4 | Maldives | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 59 | −59 | 0 | |
Note: This match broke the score difference record in FIFA A-level matches, while the previous record was created by Denmark in the 1908 Summer Olympics against France by 17–1.

## Group 3

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | United Arab Emirates | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | +6 | 10 | Final round |
| 2 | Jordan | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 | |
| 3 | Bahrain | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 9 | −6 | 3 | |

## Group 4

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Japan | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 1 | +30 | 16 | Final round |
| 2 | Oman | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 2 | +12 | 13 | |
| 3 | Macau | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 28 | −25 | 4 | |
| 4 | Nepal | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 19 | −17 | 1 | |

## Group 5

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Uzbekistan | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 3 | +17 | 16 | Final round |
| 2 | Yemen | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 7 | +3 | 8 | |
| 3 | Indonesia | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 6 | +5 | 7 | |
| 4 | Cambodia | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 27 | −25 | 1 | |

## Group 6

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | South Korea | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 | +8 | 10 | Final round |
| 2 | Thailand | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 6 | −1 | 4 | |
| 3 | Hong Kong | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 10 | −7 | 3 | |

## Group 7

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Kuwait | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | +9 | 12 | Final round |
| 2 | Lebanon | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | −3 | 4 | |
| 3 | Singapore | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 8 | −6 | 1 | |

## Group 8

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | China | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 2 | +11 | 16 | Final round |
| 2 | Tajikistan | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 2 | +13 | 13 | |
| 3 | Turkmenistan | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 13 | −5 | 6 | |
| 4 | Vietnam | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 21 | −19 | 0 | |

## Group 9

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Kazakhstan | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 2 | +13 | 12 | Final round |
| 2 | Iraq | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 8 | +6 | 6 | |
| 3 | Pakistan | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 22 | −19 | 0 | |

## Group 10

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Qatar | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | +14 | 9 | Final round |
| 2 | Sri Lanka | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 | |
| 3 | India | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 | −4 | 4 | |
| 4 | Philippines | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | −10 | 0 | |