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

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AFC Asian Cup record Qualification record
Year Result Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
  1956 Did not enter Did not enter
  1960
  1964
  1968 Withdrew Withdrew
  1972 Group stage 5th 3 2 0 1 4 5 3 1 1 1 3 3
  1976 Runners-up 2nd 4 3 0 1 6 3 Qualified by default
  1980 Champions 1st 6 4 1 1 13 6 Qualified as hosts
  1984 Third place 3rd 6 2 2 2 5 4 Qualified as defending champions
  1988 Group stage 7th 4 0 3 1 2 3 4 3 1 0 9 0
  1992 Did not qualify 2 1 0 1 4 3
  1996 Fourth place 4th 6 2 2 2 9 7 4 2 2 0 9 5
  2000 Quarter-finals 6th 4 1 2 1 3 3 4 4 0 0 33 1
  2004 Group stage 10th 3 1 0 2 3 7 6 5 1 0 17 5
     2007 Did not qualify 4 1 1 2 3 4
  2011 Group stage 14th 3 0 0 3 1 7 6 2 3 1 6 5
  2015 Group stage 15th 3 0 0 3 1 6 6 2 3 1 10 7
  2019 Disqualified 8 3 1 4 12 10
  2023 Did not qualify 11 5 2 4 24 13
  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

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1972 edition in Thailand

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Group allocation match

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Thailand  0–2  Kuwait
Khalaf   42'
Marzouq   87'

Group B

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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'

1976 edition in Iran

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Group A

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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

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

Final

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Iran  1–0  Kuwait
Parvin   71'

1980 edition in Kuwait

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Group B

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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'

Kuwait  3–1  Malaysia
Kameel   20'
Yaqoub   53' (pen.), 77' (pen.)
Zulkifli   44'

Kuwait  0–3  South Korea
Hwang Seok-keun   47'
Choi Soon-ho   71', 78'

Kuwait  4–0  Qatar
Al-Dakhil   32', 57'
Yaqoub   50' (pen.)
Al-Anberi   66'

Semi-finals

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Iran  1–2  Kuwait
Faraki   90' Yaqoub   63'
Al-Dakhil   85'

Final

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

1984 edition in Singapore

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Group A

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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

Kuwait  3–1  Syria
Mahrous   66' (o.g.)
Al-Dakhil   77'
A. Al-Buloushi   79'
Abu Al-Sel   5'

Kuwait  0–1  Saudi Arabia
Al-Jam'an   88'
Attendance: 5,000

Semi-finals

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

Third place play-off

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

1988 edition in Qatar

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Group B

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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

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Group A

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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.)

United Arab Emirates  3–2  Kuwait
Saeed   53'
Al-Talyani   55'
B. Saad   80'
Report Al-Huwaidi   9', 44'

Kuwait  2–0  South Korea
Al-Huwaidi   60'
B. Abdullah   87'
Report
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Mohd Nazri Abdullah (Malaysia)

Quarter-finals

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

Semi-finals

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United Arab Emirates  1–0  Kuwait
Saeed   69' Report

Third place play-off

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Iran  1–1  Kuwait
Daei   40' Report Al-Huwaidi   15'
Penalties
Moharrami  
Estili  
Peyrovani  
Bagheri  
3–2   Badr Haji
  Bashar Abdullah
  Al-Lenqawi
  Abdulrahman
  Al-Huwaidi

2000 edition in Lebanon

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Group B

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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

South Korea  0–1  Kuwait
Report Al-Huwaidi   43'

China  0–0  Kuwait
Report

Quarter-finals

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Kuwait  2–3 (a.e.t.)  Saudi Arabia
Bashar Abdullah   62'
Al-Huwaidi   68'
Report Al-Temyat   45+1'   109'
Al-Meshal   72'

2004 edition in China

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Group B

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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'

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

2011 edition in Qatar

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Group A

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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

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Group A

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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

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References

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  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.