Kuwait at the AFC Asian Cup

Kuwait is one of the most successful teams in the AFC Asian Cup, having won the title once, during the 1980 edition which they were awarded as host, becoming the first Arab team to win the Asian Cup.

During 1970s to 2000s, Kuwait had risen from a normal, unknown to become one of Asia's most prestigious teams and Kuwait was regarded for having a group of golden generation that would facilitate and develop football among the Arab Persian Gulf states. Kuwait had also qualified for the FIFA World Cup once, in 1982, thanked for the success in Asian Cup. Kuwait remained a powerful team until 2004, when they were surprisingly knocked out from the group stage. Since then, Kuwait's strength has started to diminish slowly, and although had qualified for 2011 and 2015, Kuwait didn't win any matches. Kuwait was even excluded for 2019 edition, due to FIFA's sanctions over Government's interference.[1]

Kuwait's Asian Cup record

AFC Asian Cup record Qualification record
Year Result Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
Hong Kong 1956 Did not enter Did not enter
South Korea 1960
Israel 1964
Iran 1968 Withdrew Withdrew
Thailand 1972 Group stage 5th 3 2 0 1 4 5 3 1 1 1 3 3
Iran 1976 Runners-up 2nd 4 3 0 1 6 3 Qualified by default
Kuwait 1980 Champions 1st 6 4 1 1 13 6 Qualified as hosts
Singapore 1984 Third place 3rd 6 2 2 2 5 4 Qualified as defending champions
Qatar 1988 Group stage 7th 4 0 3 1 2 3 4 3 1 0 9 0
Japan 1992 Did not qualify 2 1 0 1 4 3
United Arab Emirates 1996 Fourth place 4th 6 2 2 2 9 7 4 2 2 0 9 5
Lebanon 2000 Quarter-finals 6th 4 1 2 1 3 3 4 4 0 0 33 1
China 2004 Group stage 10th 3 1 0 2 3 7 6 5 1 0 17 5
IndonesiaMalaysiaThailandVietnam 2007 Did not qualify 4 1 1 2 3 4
Qatar 2011 Group stage 14th 3 0 0 3 1 7 6 2 3 1 6 5
Australia 2015 Group stage 15th 3 0 0 3 1 6 6 2 3 1 10 7
United Arab Emirates 2019 Disqualified 8 3 1 4 12 10
Qatar 2023 Did not qualify 11 5 2 4 24 13
Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualified 6 2 1 3 6 6
Total Best: Champions 11/19 42 15 10 17 47 51 66 32 17 17 139 63

Head-to-head record

Opponent Pld W D L GF GA
 Australia 1 0 0 1 1 4
 Bahrain 1 0 1 0 0 0
 China 5 1 2 2 3 5
 Indonesia 2 0 2 0 2 2
 Iran 4 1 2 1 4 4
 Iraq 1 1 0 0 3 2
 Japan 1 1 0 0 2 0
 Jordan 1 0 0 1 0 2
 Khmer Republic 1 0 0 1 0 4
 Malaysia 2 2 0 0 5 1
 Oman 1 0 0 1 0 1
 Qatar 3 2 0 1 5 3
 Saudi Arabia 3 0 1 2 2 4
 South Korea 8 4 1 3 8 9
 Syria 2 1 0 1 3 2
 Thailand 1 1 0 0 2 0
 United Arab Emirates 4 1 1 2 6 6
 Uzbekistan 1 0 0 1 1 2
Total 42 15 10 17 47 51

1972 edition in Thailand

Main article: 1972 AFC Asian Cup

Group allocation match

Thailand 0–2 Kuwait
Khalaf 42'
Marzouq 87'

Group B

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 South Korea 2 1 0 1 5 3 +2 2
 Khmer Republic 2 1 0 1 5 4 +1 2
 Kuwait 2 1 0 1 2 5 −3 2
Source: [citation needed]
South Korea 1–2 Kuwait
Park Lee-Chun 2' (pen.) Sultan 25'
Duraiham 73'
Khmer Republic 4–0 Kuwait
Doeur Sokhom 23'
Sok Sun Hean 56'
Tes Sean 59'
Sea Cheng Eang 80'

1976 edition in Iran

Main article: 1976 AFC Asian Cup

Group A

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Kuwait 2 2 0 0 3 0 +3 4
 China 2 0 1 1 1 2 −1 1
 Malaysia 2 0 1 1 1 3 −2 1
Source: [citation needed]
Kuwait 2–0 Malaysia
Al-Anberi 10'
Al-Dakhil 42'
Kuwait 1–0 China
Kameel 1'

Semi-finals

Kuwait 3–2 (a.e.t.) Iraq
Ibrahim 11'
Kameel 77', 100'		 Abdul-Jalil 46'
Hassan 85'
Attendance: 60,000

Final

Iran 1–0 Kuwait
Parvin 71'
Attendance: 100,000[citation needed]

1980 edition in Kuwait

Main article: 1980 AFC Asian Cup

Group B

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 South Korea 4 3 1 0 10 2 +8 7
 Kuwait 4 2 1 1 8 5 +3 5
 Malaysia 4 1 2 1 5 5 0 4
 Qatar 4 1 1 2 3 8 −5 3
 United Arab Emirates 4 0 1 3 3 9 −6 1
Source: [citation needed]
United Arab Emirates 1–1 Kuwait
Chombi 35' Al-Houti 19'
Attendance: 20,000
Kuwait 3–1 Malaysia
Kameel 20'
Yaqoub 53' (pen.), 77' (pen.)		 Zulkifli 44'
Attendance: 20,000
Kuwait 0–3 South Korea
Hwang Seok-keun 47'
Choi Soon-ho 71', 78'
Attendance: 20,000
Kuwait 4–0 Qatar
Al-Dakhil 32', 57'
Yaqoub 50' (pen.)
Al-Anberi 66'
Attendance: 20,000

Semi-finals

Iran 1–2 Kuwait
Faraki 90' Yaqoub 63'
Al-Dakhil 85'
Attendance: 20,000
Referee: Kok Lee (Singapore)

Final

Kuwait 3–0 South Korea
Al-Houti 8'
Al-Dakhil 34', 69'
Attendance: 25,000
Referee: Sudarso Hardjowasito (Indonesia)

1984 edition in Singapore

Main article: 1984 AFC Asian Cup

Group A

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Saudi Arabia 4 2 2 0 4 2 +2 6
 Kuwait 4 2 1 1 4 2 +2 5
 Qatar 4 1 2 1 3 3 0 4
 Syria 4 1 1 2 3 5 −2 3
 South Korea 4 0 2 2 1 3 −2 2
Source: [citation needed]
Kuwait 1–0 Qatar
Al-Rumaihi 52' (o.g.)
Attendance: 19,000
Referee: Augusto Lamo (Spain)
South Korea 0–0 Kuwait
Attendance: 20,000
Kuwait 3–1 Syria
Mahrous 66' (o.g.)
Al-Dakhil 77'
A. Al-Buloushi 79'		 Abu Al-Sel 5'
Attendance: 8,000
Kuwait 0–1 Saudi Arabia
Al-Jam'an 88'
Attendance: 5,000

Semi-finals

China 1–0 (a.e.t.) Kuwait
Li Huayun 108'
Attendance: 20,000
Referee: Augusto Lamo (Spain)

Third place play-off

Iran 1–1 Kuwait
Mohammadkhani 80' Al-Haddad 26'
Penalties
Hajiloo soccer ball with check mark
Derakhshan soccer ball with check mark
Ahadi soccer ball with check mark
Mokhtarifar soccer ball with red X		 3–5 soccer ball with check mark Al-Dakhil
soccer ball with check mark Al-Suwayed
soccer ball with check mark Juma'a
soccer ball with check mark Al-Jasem
soccer ball with check mark Al-Qabendi
Attendance: 26,000

1988 edition in Qatar

Main article: 1988 AFC Asian Cup

Group B

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Saudi Arabia 4 2 2 0 4 1 +3 6
 China 4 2 1 1 6 3 +3 5
 Syria 4 2 0 2 2 5 −3 4
 Kuwait 4 0 3 1 2 3 −1 3
 Bahrain 4 0 2 2 1 3 −2 2
Source: [citation needed]
Kuwait 0–0 Bahrain
Report
Referee: Vincent Mauro (United States)
Saudi Arabia 0–0 Kuwait
Report
Syria 1–0 Kuwait
Al-Nasser 63' Report
Kuwait 2–2 China
Adel Abbas 60' (pen.)
Mansour Basha 62'		 Report Ma Lin 10', 87'

1996 edition in the UAE

Main article: 1996 AFC Asian Cup

Group A

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 United Arab Emirates 3 2 1 0 6 3 +3 7
 Kuwait 3 1 1 1 6 5 +1 4
 South Korea 3 1 1 1 5 5 0 4
 Indonesia 3 0 1 2 4 8 −4 1
Source: [citation needed]
Indonesia 2–2 Kuwait
Putro 20'
Wabia 40'		 Report Al-Saqer 73'
Haji 84' (pen.)
Attendance: 15,000
United Arab Emirates 3–2 Kuwait
Saeed 53'
Al-Talyani 55'
B. Saad 80'		 Report Al-Huwaidi 9', 44'
Attendance: 15,000
Kuwait 2–0 South Korea
Al-Huwaidi 60'
B. Abdullah 87'		 Report
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Mohd Nazri Abdullah (Malaysia)

Quarter-finals

Kuwait 2–0 Japan
Al-Huwaidi 17', 54' Report
Attendance: 2,000

Semi-finals

United Arab Emirates 1–0 Kuwait
Saeed 69' Report
Attendance: 55,000

Third place play-off

Iran 1–1 Kuwait
Daei 40' Report Al-Huwaidi 15'
Penalties
Moharrami soccer ball with red X
Estili soccer ball with check mark
Peyrovani soccer ball with check mark
Bagheri soccer ball with check mark		 3–2 soccer ball with check mark Badr Haji
soccer ball with check mark Bashar Abdullah
soccer ball with red X Al-Lenqawi
soccer ball with red X Abdulrahman
soccer ball with red X Al-Huwaidi
Attendance: 60,000

2000 edition in Lebanon

Main article: 2000 AFC Asian Cup

Group B

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 China 3 1 2 0 6 2 +4 5
 Kuwait 3 1 2 0 1 0 +1 5
 South Korea 3 1 1 1 5 3 +2 4
 Indonesia 3 0 1 2 0 7 −7 1
Source: [citation needed]
Kuwait 0–0 Indonesia
Report
Attendance: 2,000
South Korea 0–1 Kuwait
Report Al-Huwaidi 43'
Attendance: 5,000
China 0–0 Kuwait
Report
Attendance: 5,000

Quarter-finals

Kuwait 2–3 (a.e.t.) Saudi Arabia
Bashar Abdullah 62'
Al-Huwaidi 68'		 Report Al-Temyat 45+1' gold-colored soccer ball 109'
Al-Meshal 72'
Attendance: 5,000

2004 edition in China

Main article: 2004 AFC Asian Cup

Group B

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 South Korea 3 2 1 0 6 0 +6 7
 Jordan 3 1 2 0 2 0 +2 5
 Kuwait 3 1 0 2 3 7 −4 3
 United Arab Emirates 3 0 1 2 1 5 −4 1
Source: [citation needed]
Kuwait 3–1 United Arab Emirates
B. Abdullah 24'
Al-Mutawa 39' (pen.), 45'		 Report Rashid 47'
Attendance: 31,250
Jordan 2–0 Kuwait
Saad 90+1'
Al-Zboun 90+2'		 Report
Attendance: 28,000
Referee: Lu Jun (China)
South Korea 4–0 Kuwait
Lee Dong-Gook 25', 41'
Cha Du-Ri 45+1'
Ahn Jung-Hwan 75'		 Report
Attendance: 15,000

2011 edition in Qatar

Main article: 2011 AFC Asian Cup

Group A

Main article: 2011 AFC Asian Cup Group A
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Uzbekistan 3 2 1 0 6 3 +3 7
 Qatar 3 2 0 1 5 2 +3 6
 China 3 1 1 1 4 4 0 4
 Kuwait 3 0 0 3 1 7 −6 0
Source: [citation needed]
8 January 2011
Kuwait  0–2  China
12 January 2011
Uzbekistan  2–1  Kuwait
16 January 2011
Qatar  3–0  Kuwait

2015 edition in Australia

Main article: 2015 AFC Asian Cup

Group A

Main article: 2015 AFC Asian Cup Group A
Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  South Korea 3 3 0 0 3 0 +3 9 Advance to knockout stage
2  Australia (H) 3 2 0 1 8 2 +6 6
3  Oman 3 1 0 2 1 5 −4 3
4  Kuwait 3 0 0 3 1 6 −5 0
Source: Asian Cup Australia 2015
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
(H) Hosts
9 January 2015
Australia  4–1[2]  Kuwait AAMI Park, Melbourne
13 January 2015
Kuwait  0–1  South Korea Canberra Stadium, Canberra
17 January 2015
Oman  1–0  Kuwait Newcastle Stadium, Newcastle

See also

References

  1. ^ "Kuwait faces exclusion from Asian Cup if FIFA ban remains". USA Today.
  2. ^ "Asian Cup: Australia 4-1 Kuwait | Match report". TheGuardian.com. 9 January 2015.