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 1980 edition which they were awarded as host, became 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 in the small nation at the Arabian Gulf. 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 | AFC Asian Cup qualification | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Result | Position | GP | W | D* | L | GF | GA | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
![]() | Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||
![]() | |||||||||||||||
![]() | |||||||||||||||
![]() | Withdrew | Withdrew | |||||||||||||
![]() | Group stage | 5th | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | |
![]() | Runners-up | 4th | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | Qualified automatically due to withdrawal of others in the Group | ||||||
![]() | Champions | 1st | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 6 | Qualified as hosts | ||||||
![]() | Third Place | 3rd | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 4 | Qualified automatically as defending champions | ||||||
![]() | Group stage | 7th | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | |
![]() | Did not qualify | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | ||||||||
![]() | Fourth place | 4th | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 5 | |
![]() | Quarterfinals | 6th | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 1 | |
![]() | Group stage | 10th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 5 | |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Did not qualify | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||||||||
![]() | Group stage | 14th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 5 | |
![]() | Group stage | 15th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 7 | |
![]() | Disqualified | Disqualified from qualification due to FIFA sanction | |||||||||||||
![]() | To be determined | To be determined | |||||||||||||
Total | Best: Champions | 10/18 | 42 | 15 | 10 | 18 | 45 | 51 | 39 | 21 | 12 | 6 | 94 | 33 |
1972 edition in Thailand
Group B
Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 2 |
![]() |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 2 |
![]() |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 2 |
South Korea ![]() | 1–2 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Park Lee-Chun ![]() |
Sultan ![]() Duraiham ![]() |
Khmer Republic ![]() | 4–0 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Doeur Sokhom ![]() Sok Sun Hean ![]() Tes Sean ![]() Sea Cheng Eang ![]() |
1976 edition in Iran
Group A
Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 4 |
![]() |
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 1 |
![]() |
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 1 |
Semi-finals
1980 edition in Kuwait
Group B
Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 2 | +8 | 7 |
![]() |
4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 5 | +3 | 5 |
![]() |
4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 4 |
![]() |
4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | −5 | 3 |
![]() |
4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 9 | −6 | 1 |
United Arab Emirates ![]() | 1–1 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Chombi ![]() |
Al-Houti ![]() |
Kuwait ![]() | 0–3 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Hwang Seok-keun ![]() Choi Soon-ho ![]() |
Final
Kuwait ![]() | 3–0 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Al-Houti ![]() Al-Dakhil ![]() |
1984 edition in Singapore
Group A
Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 6 |
![]() |
4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 5 |
![]() |
4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
![]() |
4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | −2 | 3 |
![]() |
4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 2 |
Kuwait ![]() | 1 – 0 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Al-Rumaihi ![]() |
South Korea ![]() | 0 – 0 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Kuwait ![]() | 3 – 1 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Mahrous ![]() Al-Dakhil ![]() A. Al-Buloushi ![]() |
Abu Al-Sel ![]() |
Kuwait ![]() | 0 – 1 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Al-Jam'an ![]() |
Third place play-off
Iran ![]() | 1 – 1 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Mohammadkhani ![]() |
Al-Haddad ![]() |
|
Penalties | ||
Hajiloo ![]() Derakhshan ![]() Ahadi ![]() Mokhtarifar ![]() |
3 – 5 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
1988 edition in Qatar
Group B
Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 6 |
![]() |
4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 5 |
![]() |
4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 4 |
![]() |
4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 3 |
![]() |
4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 2 |
Kuwait ![]() | 0–0 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Report |
Saudi Arabia ![]() | 0–0 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Report |
Syria ![]() | 1–0 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Al-Nasser ![]() |
Report |
1996 edition in the UAE
Group A
Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 7 |
![]() |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 4 |
![]() |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 4 |
![]() |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 8 | −4 | 1 |
United Arab Emirates ![]() | 3–2 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Saeed ![]() Al-Talyani ![]() B. Saad ![]() |
Report | Al-Huwaidi ![]() |
Kuwait ![]() | 2–0 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Al-Huwaidi ![]() B. Abdullah ![]() |
Report |
Quarter-finals
Kuwait ![]() | 2–0 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Al-Huwaidi ![]() |
Report |
Semi-finals
United Arab Emirates ![]() | 1–0 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Saeed ![]() |
Report |
Third place play-off
Iran ![]() | 1–1 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Daei ![]() |
Report | Al-Huwaidi ![]() |
Penalties | ||
Moharrami ![]() Estili ![]() Peyrovani ![]() Bagheri ![]() |
3–2 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
2000 edition in Lebanon
Group B
Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 5 |
![]() |
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 5 |
![]() |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 4 |
![]() |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 | −7 | 1 |
South Korea ![]() | 0–1 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Report | Al-Huwaidi ![]() |
Quarter-finals
Kuwait ![]() | 2–3 (a.e.t.) | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Bashar Abdullah ![]() Al-Huwaidi ![]() |
Report | Al-Temyat ![]() ![]() Al-Meshal ![]() |
2004 edition in China
Group B
Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | +6 | 7 |
![]() |
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 5 |
![]() |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 | −4 | 3 |
![]() |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 1 |
Kuwait ![]() | 3–1 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
B. Abdullah ![]() Al-Mutawa ![]() |
Report | Rashid ![]() |
South Korea ![]() | 4–0 | ![]() |
---|---|---|
Lee Dong-Gook ![]() Cha Du-Ri ![]() Ahn Jung-Hwan ![]() |
Report |
2011 edition in Qatar
2015 edition in Australia
Group A
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 9 | Advance to knockout stage |
2 | ![]() |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 2 | +6 | 6 | |
3 | ![]() |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 3 | |
4 | ![]() |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | −5 | 0 |
9 January 2015 | |||
Australia ![]() | 4–1[2] | ![]() | AAMI Park, Melbourne |
13 January 2015 | |||
Kuwait ![]() | 0–1 | ![]() | Canberra Stadium, Canberra |
17 January 2015 | |||
Oman ![]() | 1–0 | ![]() | Newcastle Stadium, Newcastle |