2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC Second Round

The second round of AFC matches for 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (and 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification) was played from 24 May 2015 to 29 March 2016.[1]

Format

A total of 40 teams (teams ranked 1–34 in the AFC entrant list and six first round winners) were divided into eight groups of five teams to play home-and-away round-robin matches. The eight group winners and the four best group runners-up advanced to the third round of FIFA World Cup qualification as well as qualify for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup finals.

A total of 24 teams eliminated from World Cup qualification in the second round competed in the third round of 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification (which was separated from the third round of 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification), where they were divided into six groups of four teams and competed for the remaining slots of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. The 24 teams consisted of the 16 highest ranked teams eliminated in the second round, and the eight teams that advance from the play-off round of 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification which are contested by the remaining 12 teams eliminated in the second round.[2]

Seeding

The draw for the second round was held on 14 April 2015, at 17:00 MST (UTC+8), at the JW Marriott Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[3][4]

The seeding was based on the FIFA World Rankings of April 2015 (shown in parentheses below).[5] The 40 teams were seeded into five pots:[6]

Each group contained one team from each of the five pots.

As the seeding order was based on the most recent FIFA Rankings prior to the draw, it differed from the order in the AFC entrant list, which was based on the FIFA World Rankings of January 2015. Among the six first round winners, three were seeded higher than Pot 5 (India in Pot 3, Timor-Leste and Bhutan in Pot 4), due to ranking points gained from the first round matches, while the other three (Yemen, Cambodia and Chinese Taipei) were seeded in Pot 5.

Note: Bolded teams qualified for the third round.

Pot 1 Pot 2 Pot 3 Pot 4 Pot 5
  1.  Iran (40)
  2.  Japan (50)
  3.  South Korea (57)
  4.  Australia (63)
  5.  United Arab Emirates (68)
  6.  Uzbekistan (73)
  7.  China PR (82)
  8.  Iraq (86)
  1.  Saudi Arabia (95)
  2.  Oman (97)
  3.  Qatar (99)
  4.  Jordan (103)
  5.  Bahrain (108)
  6.  Vietnam (125)
  7.  Syria (126)
  8.  Kuwait (127)
  1.  Afghanistan (135)
  2.  Philippines (139)
  3.  Palestine (140)
  4.  Maldives (141)
  5.  Thailand (142)
  6.  Tajikistan (143)
  7.  Lebanon (144)
  8.  India (147)
  1.  Timor-Leste (152)
  2.  Kyrgyzstan (153)
  3.  North Korea (157)
  4.  Myanmar (158)
  5.  Turkmenistan (159)
  6.  Indonesia (159)
  7.  Singapore (162)
  8.  Bhutan (163)
  1.  Malaysia (164)
  2.  Hong Kong (167)
  3.  Bangladesh (167)
  4.  Yemen (170)
  5.  Guam (175)
  6.  Laos (178)
  7.  Cambodia (179)
  8.  Chinese Taipei (179)

Groups

Group A

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Saudi Arabia 8 6 2 0 28 4 +24 20 Third round and Asian Cup 2–1 3–2 2–0 7–0
2  United Arab Emirates 8 5 2 1 25 4 +21 17 1–1 2–0 10–0 8–0
3  Palestine 8 3 3 2 22 6 +16 12 Asian Cup qualifying third round 0–0 0–0 6–0 7–0
4  Malaysia 8 1 1 6 3 30 27 4 Asian Cup qualifying play-off round 0–3[lower-alpha 1] 1–2 0–6 1–1
5  Timor-Leste 8 0 2 6 2 36 34 2 0–10 0–1 1–1 0–1
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers
Notes:
  1. The Malaysia v Saudi Arabia match, on 8 September 2015, was abandoned during the 87th minute after a group of supporters threw objects onto the pitch. At the time of the abandonment the score was 2–1 to Saudi Arabia. On 5 October 2015, FIFA decided that this match was forfeited and the result to be declared as a 0–3 loss for Malaysia.[8][9]

11 June 2015 (2015-06-11)
20:45 UTC+8
Malaysia  1–1  Timor-Leste
Safee  34' Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Saro  90+3'

11 June 2015 (2015-06-11)[note 1]
21:00 UTC+3
Saudi Arabia  3–2  Palestine
Al-Shehri  6'
Al-Sahlawi  46', 90+4'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Tamburrini  51'
Jadue  90+1'
Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium, Dammam
Attendance: 4,820
Referee: Abdulrahman Al-Jassim (Qatar)

16 June 2015 (2015-06-16)
16:00 UTC+8
Timor-Leste  0–1  United Arab Emirates
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
O. Abdulrahman  80'
Shah Alam Stadium, Shah Alam (Malaysia)[note 2]
Attendance: 200
Referee: Ma Ning (China)

16 June 2015 (2015-06-16)
20:45 UTC+8
Malaysia  0–6  Palestine
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Al-Batat  9'
Maraaba  22', 75'
Seyam  41', 86'
Yousef  63'

3 September 2015 (2015-09-03)
19:15 UTC+4
United Arab Emirates  10–0  Malaysia
Salem  16'
Mabkhout  22', 33', 76'
Khalil  24', 29', 70', 78'
Fardan  25'
Ahmed  37'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Attendance: 7,822
Referee: Abdulrahman Al-Jassim (Qatar)

3 September 2015 (2015-09-03)
20:40 UTC+3
Saudi Arabia  7–0  Timor-Leste
Al-Shehri  2'
Al-Sahlawi  23' (pen.), 26', 71'
Al-Faraj  30'
Al-Jassim  32'
Al-Muwallad  73'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah
Attendance: 11,000
Referee: Timur Faizullin (Kyrgyzstan)

8 September 2015 (2015-09-08)
20:45 UTC+8
Malaysia  0–3
Awarded[note 3]
 Saudi Arabia
Safiq  70' Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Al-Jassim  73'
Al-Sahlawi  76'

8 October 2015 (2015-10-08)
16:00 UTC+9
Timor-Leste  1–1  Palestine
Saro  54' Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Abu Nahyeh  90+2'

13 October 2015 (2015-10-13)
16:00 UTC+9
Timor-Leste  0–1  Malaysia
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Amri  10'
Dili Municipal Stadium, Dili
Attendance: 2,500
Referee: Kim Hee-gon (South Korea)

9 November 2015 (2015-11-09)[note 1]
16:00 UTC+2
Palestine  0–0  Saudi Arabia
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Amman International Stadium, Amman (Jordan)[note 4]
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Adham Makhadmeh (Jordan)

12 November 2015 (2015-11-12)
16:00 UTC+2
Palestine  6–0  Malaysia
Cantillana  37'
Abu Nahyeh  38', 45', 58'
Seyam  88'
Ihbeisheh  90+1'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)

12 November 2015 (2015-11-12)
18:15 UTC+4
United Arab Emirates  8–0  Timor-Leste
Mabkhout  15', 19'
Khalil  43', 53' (pen.), 56', 57'
Mousa  54'
Al Hashmi  87'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)

17 November 2015 (2015-11-17)
16:00 UTC+9
Timor-Leste  0–10  Saudi Arabia
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Al-Sahlawi  29' (pen.), 42', 55' (pen.), 70', 89'
Hawsawi  34'
Al-Shehri  35'
Al-Jassim  85'
Hazazi  90'
Al-Muwallad  90+2'

17 November 2015 (2015-11-17)
20:45 UTC+8
Malaysia  1–2  United Arab Emirates
Baddrol  59' Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
O. Abdulrahman  22'
Khalil  52'

24 March 2016 (2016-03-24)
20:30 UTC+3
Saudi Arabia  2–0  Malaysia
Al-Sahlawi  50'
Al-Jassim  74'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)

29 March 2016 (2016-03-29)
17:00 UTC+3
Palestine  7–0  Timor-Leste
Ihbeisheh  2'
Cantillana  18', 66'
Pinto  32', 39'
Awad  77'
Bahdari  90'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)

Group B

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Australia 8 7 0 1 29 4 +25 21 Third round and Asian Cup 5–1 3–0 7–0 5–0
2  Jordan 8 5 1 2 21 7 +14 16 Asian Cup qualifying third round 2–0 0–0 3–0 8–0
3  Kyrgyzstan 8 4 2 2 10 8 +2 14 1–2 1–0 2–2 2–0
4  Tajikistan 8 1 2 5 9 20 11 5 Asian Cup qualifying play-off round 0–3 1–3 0–1 5–0
5  Bangladesh 8 0 1 7 2 32 30 1 0–4 0–4 1–3 1–1
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers

11 June 2015 (2015-06-11)
17:00 UTC+6
Bangladesh  1–3  Kyrgyzstan
Kichin  32' (o.g.) Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Zemlianukhin  9', 41'
Bernhardt  29' (pen.)
Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Sukhbir Singh (Singapore)

11 June 2015 (2015-06-11)
20:00 UTC+5
Tajikistan  1–3  Jordan
M. Dzhalilov  66' Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Abdel-Fattah  29', 63', 88'
Pamir Stadium, Dushanbe
Attendance: 19,000
Referee: Mohsen Torky (Iran)

16 June 2015 (2015-06-16)
17:00 UTC+6
Bangladesh  1–1  Tajikistan
Hasan  50' Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Fatkhuloev  88'

16 June 2015 (2015-06-16)
20:00 UTC+6
Kyrgyzstan  1–2  Australia
Mirzaliev  90+2' Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Jedinak  2'
Oar  68'
Spartak Stadium, Bishkek
Attendance: 18,000
Referee: Khamis Al-Marri (Qatar)

3 September 2015 (2015-09-03)
19:00 UTC+8
Australia  5–0  Bangladesh
Leckie  6'
Rogic  8'
Barman  20' (o.g.)
Burns  29'
Mooy  61'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Perth Oval, Perth
Attendance: 19,495
Referee: Võ Minh Trí (Vietnam)

3 September 2015 (2015-09-03)
19:00 UTC+3
Jordan  0–0  Kyrgyzstan
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)

8 September 2015 (2015-09-08)
17:00 UTC+6
Bangladesh  0–4  Jordan
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Deeb  13' (pen.), 56'
Abu Amarah  33'
Al-Bakhit  58'
Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka
Attendance: 12,000
Referee: Yu Ming-hsun (Chinese Taipei)

8 September 2015 (2015-09-08)
18:00 UTC+5
Tajikistan  0–3  Australia
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Milligan  57'
Cahill  73', 90+1'
Pamir Stadium, Dushanbe
Attendance: 19,000
Referee: Jameel Abdulhusin (Bahrain)

8 October 2015 (2015-10-08)
17:00 UTC+3
Jordan  2–0  Australia
Abdel-Fattah  47' (pen.)
Al-Dardour  84'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)

8 October 2015 (2015-10-08)
20:00 UTC+6
Kyrgyzstan  2–2  Tajikistan
Duyshobekov  7'
Zemlianukhin  90+4' (pen.)
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
M. Dzhalilov  65'
Nazarov  71' (pen.)
Spartak Stadium, Bishkek
Attendance: 17,600
Referee: Mooud Bonyadifard (Iran)

13 October 2015 (2015-10-13)
20:00 UTC+6
Kyrgyzstan  2–0  Bangladesh
Lux  27'
Amirov  89'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Spartak Stadium, Bishkek
Attendance: 12,001
Referee: Jameel Abdulhusin (Bahrain)

13 October 2015 (2015-10-13)
19:00 UTC+3
Jordan  3–0  Tajikistan
Al-Dardour  65', 90+4'
Abdel-Fattah  67'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)

12 November 2015 (2015-11-12)
20:00 UTC+11
Australia  3–0  Kyrgyzstan
Jedinak  40' (pen.)
Cahill  50'
Amirov  69' (o.g.)
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Canberra Stadium, Canberra
Attendance: 19,412
Referee: Kim Sang-woo (South Korea)

12 November 2015 (2015-11-12)
17:00 UTC+5
Tajikistan  5–0  Bangladesh
M. Dzhalilov  16', 26', 59', 74'
Nazarov  51' (pen.)
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)

17 November 2015 (2015-11-17)
17:30 UTC+6
Bangladesh  0–4  Australia
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Cahill  6', 32', 37'
Jedinak  43'
Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka
Attendance: 19,730
Referee: Wang Di (China)

17 November 2015 (2015-11-17)
20:00 UTC+6
Kyrgyzstan  1–0  Jordan
Zemlianukhin  48' Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)

24 March 2016 (2016-03-24)
19:30 UTC+10:30
Australia  7–0  Tajikistan
Luongo  3'
Jedinak  13' (pen.)
Milligan  57' (pen.)
Burns  67', 87'
Rogic  70', 72'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
Attendance: 35,439
Referee: Fahad Al-Marri (Qatar)

24 March 2016 (2016-03-24)
14:30 UTC+2
Jordan  8–0  Bangladesh
Al-Dardour  7', 23', 40'
Deeb  29' (pen.)
Al-Rawashdeh  32'
Faisal  63'
Al-Naber  82'
Samir  90+2' (pen.)
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)

29 March 2016 (2016-03-29)
20:00 UTC+11
Australia  5–1  Jordan
Cahill  24', 44'
Mooy  39'
Rogic  53'
Luongo  69'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Deeb  90'

29 March 2016 (2016-03-29)
18:00 UTC+5
Tajikistan  0–1  Kyrgyzstan
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Lux  18'
Pamir Stadium, Dushanbe
Attendance: 7,500
Referee: Aziz Asimov (Uzbekistan)

Group C

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Qatar 8 7 0 1 29 4 +25 21 Third round and Asian Cup 1–0 2–0 4–0 15–0
2  China PR 8 5 2 1 27 1 +26 17 2–0 0–0 4–0 12–0
3  Hong Kong 8 4 2 2 13 5 +8 14 Asian Cup qualifying third round 2–3 0–0 2–0 7–0
4  Maldives 8 2 0 6 8 20 12 6 Asian Cup qualifying play-off round 0–1 0–3 0–1 4–2
5  Bhutan 8 0 0 8 5 52 47 0 0–3 0–6 0–1 3–4
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers

11 June 2015 (2015-06-11)
20:00 UTC+8
Hong Kong  7–0  Bhutan
McKee  19', 57'
Christian  23'
Lo Kwan Yee  30'
Ju Yingzhi  42'
Lam Ka Wai  49' (pen.)
Godfred  67'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)

11 June 2015 (2015-06-11)
21:00 UTC+5
Maldives  0–1  Qatar
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Maqsoud  90+8'

16 June 2015 (2015-06-16)
18:00 UTC+6
Bhutan  0–6  China PR
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Yang Xu  45+2', 60', 76'
Wu Lei  55'
Yu Dabao  67', 83'
Changlimithang Stadium, Thimphu
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Rowan Arumughan (India)

16 June 2015 (2015-06-16)
20:00 UTC+8
Hong Kong  2–0  Maldives
Xu Deshuai  63'
Lam Ka Wai  67'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Mong Kok Stadium, Hong Kong
Attendance: 6,370
Referee: Adham Makhadmeh (Jordan)

3 September 2015 (2015-09-03)
19:35 UTC+8
China PR  0–0  Hong Kong
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Bao'an Stadium, Shenzhen
Attendance: 26,173
Referee: Strebre Delovski (Australia)

3 September 2015 (2015-09-03)
19:00 UTC+3
Qatar  15–0  Bhutan
Musa  8', 28'
Kasola  18'
Assadalla  21', 45', 63'
Al-Haidos  25', 87'
Muntari  37', 41', 48'
Afif  57'
Khoukhi  62', 70'
Mohammad  75'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)

8 September 2015 (2015-09-08)
19:35 UTC+8
Maldives  0–3  China PR
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Yu Dabao  8', 57'
Zhang Linpeng  66'
Shenyang Olympic Sports Center Stadium, Shenyang (China PR)[note 5]
Attendance: 28,036
Referee: Sukhbir Singh (Singapore)

8 September 2015 (2015-09-08)
20:00 UTC+8
Hong Kong  2–3  Qatar
Bai He  87'
Godfred  89'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Boudiaf  22'
Hassan  62'
Musa  84'

8 October 2015 (2015-10-08)
18:00 UTC+6
Bhutan  3–4  Maldives
Dorji  85'
Gyeltshen  88'
Basnet  90+1'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Nashid  11'
Ashfaq  23', 33', 57' (pen.)

8 October 2015 (2015-10-08)
18:30 UTC+3
Qatar  1–0  China PR
Boudiaf  22' Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)

13 October 2015 (2015-10-13)
18:00 UTC+6
Bhutan  0–1  Hong Kong
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Chan Siu Ki  89'
Changlimithang Stadium, Thimphu
Attendance: 7,280
Referee: Aziz Asimov (Uzbekistan)

13 October 2015 (2015-10-13)
18:30 UTC+3
Qatar  4–0  Maldives
Khoukhi  28', 70'
Kasola  69'
Musa  90+2'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha
Attendance: 4,006
Referee: Ahmed Al-Kaf (Oman)

12 November 2015 (2015-11-12)
15:50 UTC+5
Maldives  0–1  Hong Kong
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Paulinho  13' (pen.)

12 November 2015 (2015-11-12)
19:35 UTC+8
China PR  12–0  Bhutan
Mei Fang  10'
Yang Xu  13', 21' (pen.), 37', 52'
Yu Dabao  16', 39'
Yu Hanchao  34', 72'
Wang Yongpo  66', 81'
Zhang Xizhe  88'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)

17 November 2015 (2015-11-17)
18:00 UTC+6
Bhutan  0–3  Qatar
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Muntari  22'
Al-Haidos  36', 90'

17 November 2015 (2015-11-17)
20:00 UTC+8
Hong Kong  0–0  China PR
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)

24 March 2016 (2016-03-24)
19:35 UTC+8
China PR  4–0  Maldives
Jiang Ning  2', 84', 90+1'
Yang Xu  12'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)

24 March 2016 (2016-03-24)
19:00 UTC+3
Qatar  2–0  Hong Kong
Al-Haidos  20'
Soria  87'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)

29 March 2016 (2016-03-29)
20:15 UTC+8
China PR  2–0  Qatar
Huang Bowen  57'
Wu Lei  88'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)

29 March 2016 (2016-03-29)
21:00 UTC+5
Maldives  4–2  Bhutan
Asadhulla  37'
Ashfaq  81' (pen.), 90+4'
Hassan  87'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Gyeltshen  7'
Dorji  48' (pen.)

Group D

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Iran 8 6 2 0 26 3 +23 20 Third round and Asian Cup 2–0 3–1 6–0 4–0
2  Oman 8 4 2 2 11 7 +4 14 Asian Cup qualifying third round 1–1 3–1 1–0 3–0
3  Turkmenistan 8 4 1 3 10 11 1 13 1–1 2–1 1–0 2–1
4  Guam 8 2 1 5 3 16 13 7 0–6 0–0 1–0 2–1
5  India 8 1 0 7 5 18 13 3 Asian Cup qualifying play-off round 0–3[lower-alpha 1] 1–2 1–2 1–0
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers
Notes:
  1. FIFA awarded Iran a 3–0 win as a result of India fielding the ineligible player Eugeneson Lyngdoh.[20] The match initially ended 3–0 to Iran.

11 June 2015 (2015-06-11)
16:15 UTC+10
Guam  1–0  Turkmenistan
Annaorazow  12' (o.g.) Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Guam F.A. National Training Center, Dededo
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Wang Di (China)

11 June 2015 (2015-06-11)
19:00 UTC+5:30
India  1–2  Oman
Chhetri  26' Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Said  1'
Al-Hosni  40' (pen.)

16 June 2015 (2015-06-16)
16:15 UTC+10
Guam  2–1  India
McDonald  37'
Nicklaw  62'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Chhetri  90+3'

16 June 2015 (2015-06-16)
18:00 UTC+5
Turkmenistan  1–1  Iran
Mingazow  45+1' Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Azmoun  4'
Sport Toplumy Stadium, Daşoguz
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Jameel Abdulhusin (Bahrain)

3 September 2015 (2015-09-03)
19:00 UTC+4:30
Iran  6–0  Guam
Dejagah  10' (pen.)
Taremi  31', 65'
Azmoun  34', 41'
Torabi  89'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Azadi Stadium, Tehran
Attendance: 11,232
Referee: Khamis Al-Marri (Qatar)

3 September 2015 (2015-09-03)
19:00 UTC+4
Oman  3–1  Turkmenistan
Saleh  7'
Saparow  11' (o.g.)
Al-Hosni  59'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Amanow  82'

8 September 2015 (2015-09-08)
16:00 UTC+10
Guam  0–0  Oman
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Guam F.A. National Training Center, Dededo
Attendance: 2,239
Referee: Hiroyuki Kimura (Japan)

8 September 2015 (2015-09-08)
19:00 UTC+5:30
India  0–3
Awarded[note 6]
 Iran
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Azmoun  28'
Teymourian  46'
Taremi  49'

8 October 2015 (2015-10-08)
18:00 UTC+5
Turkmenistan  2–1  India
Abylow  8'
Amanow  60'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Lalpekhlua  28'
Köpetdag Stadium, Ashgabat
Attendance: 20,100
Referee: Masoud Tufaylieh (Syria)

8 October 2015 (2015-10-08)
18:30 UTC+4
Oman  1–1  Iran
Al-Mukhaini  52' Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Hosseini  70'

13 October 2015 (2015-10-13)
18:00 UTC+5
Turkmenistan  1–0  Guam
Abylow  16' Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Köpetdag Stadium, Ashgabat
Attendance: 20,200
Referee: Turki Al-Khudhayr (Saudi Arabia)

13 October 2015 (2015-10-13)
18:30 UTC+4
Oman  3–0  India
Mubarak  55'
Al-Muqbali  67', 84'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)

12 November 2015 (2015-11-12)
15:00 UTC+3:30
Iran  3–1  Turkmenistan
Pouraliganji  6'
Ezatolahi  64'
Dejagah  83' (pen.)
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Saparow  62'
Azadi Stadium, Tehran
Attendance: 35,800
Referee: Kim Dong-jin (South Korea)

12 November 2015 (2015-11-12)
19:00 UTC+5:30
India  1–0  Guam
R. Singh  10' Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)

17 November 2015 (2015-11-17)
15:30 UTC+10
Guam  0–6  Iran
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Taremi  12', 63'
Kamyabinia  32'
Rezaeian  49'
Shojaei  52' (pen.)
Ansarifard  53'
Guam F.A. National Training Center, Dededo
Attendance: 2,087
Referee: Ho Wai Sing (Hong Kong)

17 November 2015 (2015-11-17)
18:00 UTC+5
Turkmenistan  2–1  Oman
Geworkýan  40'
Muhadow  67'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Al-Ghassani  70'
Köpetdag Stadium, Ashgabat
Attendance: 23,100
Referee: Ma Ning (China)

24 March 2016 (2016-03-24)
19:00 UTC+4:30
Iran  4–0  India
Hajsafi  33' (pen.), 66' (pen.)
Azmoun  61'
Jahanbakhsh  78'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Azadi Stadium, Tehran
Attendance: 29,160
Referee: Võ Minh Trí (Vietnam)

24 March 2016 (2016-03-24)
19:00 UTC+4
Oman  1–0  Guam
Mubarak  53' Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Muscat
Attendance: 8,000
Referee: Jameel Abdulhusin (Bahrain)

29 March 2016 (2016-03-29)
18:00 UTC+5:30
India  1–2  Turkmenistan
Jhingan  26' Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Amanow  48'
Ataýew  70'
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi
Attendance: 3,111
Referee: Khamis Al-Marri (Qatar)

29 March 2016 (2016-03-29)
19:00 UTC+4:30
Iran  2–0  Oman
Azmoun  16', 23' Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Azadi Stadium, Tehran
Attendance: 33,850
Referee: Minoru Tōjō (Japan)

Group E

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Japan 8 7 1 0 27 0 +27 22 Third round and Asian Cup 5–0 0–0 5–0 3–0
2  Syria 8 6 0 2 26 11 +15 18 0–3 1–0 5–2 6–0
3  Singapore 8 3 1 4 9 9 0 10 Asian Cup qualifying third round 0–3 1–2 1–0 2–1
4  Afghanistan 8 3 0 5 8 24 16 9 0–6 0–6 2–1 3–0
5  Cambodia 8 0 0 8 1 27 26 0 Asian Cup qualifying play-off round 0–2 0–6 0–4 0–1
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers

11 June 2015 (2015-06-11)
18:30 UTC+7
Cambodia  0–4  Singapore
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Khairul  9'
Safuwan  21', 35'
Fazrul  55'
Olympic Stadium, Phnom Penh
Attendance: 63,000
Referee: Liu Kwok Man (Hong Kong)

11 June 2015 (2015-06-11)
20:00 UTC+4:30
Afghanistan  0–6  Syria
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Rafe  19', 35'
Ajan  42'
Al Hussain  70'
Malki  75'
Khribin  90+4' (pen.)

16 June 2015 (2015-06-16)[note 8]
19:30 UTC+9
Japan  0–0  Singapore
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)

16 June 2015 (2015-06-16)
18:30 UTC+7
Cambodia  0–1  Afghanistan
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Zazai  86'

3 September 2015 (2015-09-03)
19:26 UTC+9
Japan  3–0  Cambodia
Honda  28'
Yoshida  50'
Kagawa  61'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama
Attendance: 54,716
Referee: Kim Hee-gon (South Korea)

3 September 2015 (2015-09-03)
20:00 UTC+4
Syria  1–0  Singapore
Al-Jafal  59' Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Muscat (Oman)[note 9]
Attendance: 100
Referee: Yousef Al-Marzouq (Kuwait)

8 September 2015 (2015-09-08)
18:30 UTC+7
Cambodia  0–6  Syria
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Khribin  29', 39'
Malki  31'
Maowas  44'
Midani  50'
Omari  81'
Olympic Stadium, Phnom Penh
Attendance: 35,000
Referee: Wang Di (China)

8 September 2015 (2015-09-08)
16:55 UTC+4:30
Afghanistan  0–6  Japan
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Kagawa  10', 50'
Morishige  35'
Okazaki  57', 60'
Honda  74'
Azadi Stadium, Tehran (Iran)[note 7]
Attendance: 8,650
Referee: Khamis Al-Kuwari (Qatar)

8 October 2015 (2015-10-08)
20:00 UTC+8
Singapore  1–0  Afghanistan
Khairul  72' Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
National Stadium, Kallang
Attendance: 5,400
Referee: Ng Chiu Kok (Hong Kong)

8 October 2015 (2015-10-08)
17:00 UTC+4
Syria  0–3  Japan
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Honda  55' (pen.)
Okazaki  70'
Usami  88'

13 October 2015 (2015-10-13)
20:00 UTC+8
Singapore  2–1  Cambodia
Faris  16'
Fazrul  47'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Suhana  65'
National Stadium, Kallang
Attendance: 6,650
Referee: Kim Dae-yong (South Korea)

13 October 2015 (2015-10-13)
20:00 UTC+4
Syria  5–2  Afghanistan
Omari  9', 21', 83'
Maowas  32', 90'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Amiri  44'
Shayesteh  78'

12 November 2015 (2015-11-12)[note 8]
19:15 UTC+8
Singapore  0–3  Japan
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Kanazaki  20'
Honda  26'
Yoshida  88'

12 November 2015 (2015-11-12)
15:00 UTC+3:30
Afghanistan  3–0  Cambodia
Zazai  42'
Amiri  78'
Amani  90+4'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Takhti Stadium, Tehran (Iran)[note 7]
Attendance: 2,585
Referee: Adham Makhadmeh (Jordan)

17 November 2015 (2015-11-17)
20:00 UTC+8
Singapore  1–2  Syria
Safuwan  89' (pen.) Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Khribin  20', 90+3'

17 November 2015 (2015-11-17)
19:14 UTC+7
Cambodia  0–2  Japan
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Laboravy  51' (o.g.)
Honda  90'
Olympic Stadium, Phnom Penh
Attendance: 29,871
Referee: Fu Ming (China)

24 March 2016 (2016-03-24)
19:34 UTC+9
Japan  5–0  Afghanistan
Okazaki  43'
Kiyotake  58'
Mukhammad  63' (o.g.)
Yoshida  74'
Kanazaki  78'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)

24 March 2016 (2016-03-24)
20:00 UTC+4
Syria  6–0  Cambodia
Khribin  7', 19'
Kallasi  57'
Makara  70' (o.g.)
Al Hussain  80'
Malki  84'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)

29 March 2016 (2016-03-29)
15:00 UTC+4:30
Afghanistan  2–1  Singapore
Amani  39'
Shirdel  79'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Fazrul  89'
Takhti Stadium, Tehran (Iran)[note 7]
Attendance: 24,500
Referee: Fu Ming (China)

29 March 2016 (2016-03-29)
19:34 UTC+9
Japan  5–0  Syria
Al Masri  17' (o.g.)
Kagawa  66', 90'
Honda  86'
Haraguchi  90+3'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama
Attendance: 57,475
Referee: Alireza Faghani (Iran)

Group F

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Thailand 6 4 2 0 14 6 +8 14 Third round and Asian Cup 2–2 1–0 4–2
2  Iraq 6 3 3 0 13 6 +7 12 2–2 1–0 5–1
3  Vietnam 6 2 1 3 7 8 1 7 Asian Cup qualifying third round 0–3 1–1 4–1
4  Chinese Taipei 6 0 0 6 5 19 14 0 Asian Cup qualifying play-off round 0–2 0–2 1–2
5  Indonesia (D) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Disqualified due to FIFA suspension[lower-alpha 1]
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers
(D) Disqualified.
Notes:
  1. On 30 May 2015, FIFA announced that the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) was suspended with immediate effect for governmental interference.[24] On 3 June 2015, the AFC confirmed that Indonesia have been excluded from the qualifying competition, and all matches involving them have been cancelled.[25]

24 May 2015 (2015-05-24)[note 10]
19:00 UTC+7
Thailand  1–0  Vietnam
Pokklaw  80' Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok
Attendance: 40,500
Referee: Ben Williams (Australia)

16 June 2015 (2015-06-16)
19:30 UTC+8
Chinese Taipei  0–2  Thailand
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Teerasil  21', 39'
Taipei Municipal Stadium, Taipei
Attendance: 18,168
Referee: Ali Shaban (Kuwait)

3 September 2015 (2015-09-03)
17:00 UTC+4:30
Iraq  5–1  Chinese Taipei
Adnan  37'
Hosni  59'
Yasin  80'
Mahmoud  88'
Meram  90+1' (pen.)
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Wen Chih-hao  86'
PAS Stadium, Tehran (Iran)[note 11]
Attendance: 4,200
Referee: Yaqoob Abdul Baki (Oman)

8 September 2015 (2015-09-08)
19:00 UTC+8
Chinese Taipei  1–2  Vietnam
Wu Chun-ching  82' Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Đinh Tiến Thành  53'
Trần Phi Sơn  90+2'
Taipei Municipal Stadium, Taipei
Attendance: 20,239
Referee: Kim Dae-yong (South Korea)

8 September 2015 (2015-09-08)
19:00 UTC+7
Thailand  2–2  Iraq
Theerathon  80' (pen.)
Mongkol  83'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Meram  34'
Mahmoud  49'
Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok
Attendance: 43,572
Referee: Masaaki Toma (Japan)

8 October 2015 (2015-10-08)
19:00 UTC+7
Vietnam  1–1  Iraq
Lê Công Vinh  25' Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Mahmoud  90+7' (pen.)

13 October 2015 (2015-10-13)
19:00 UTC+7
Vietnam  0–3  Thailand
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Kroekrit  29'
Đinh Tiến Thành  56' (o.g.)
Theerathon  70'

12 November 2015 (2015-11-12)
19:00 UTC+7
Thailand  4–2  Chinese Taipei
Teerasil  41'
Pokklaw  52'
Adisak  72'
Tana  74'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Yaki Yen  3'
Hung Kai-chun  65'

17 November 2015 (2015-11-17)
19:00 UTC+8
Chinese Taipei  0–2  Iraq
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Ismail  19'
Mahmoud  85'
National Stadium, Kaohsiung
Attendance: 11,960
Referee: Jumpei Iida (Japan)

24 March 2016 (2016-03-24)
19:00 UTC+7
Vietnam  4–1  Chinese Taipei
Lê Công Vinh  8', 90+1'
Nguyễn Văn Toàn  29', 42'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Wu Chun-ching  7'
Mỹ Đình National Stadium, Hanoi
Attendance: 18,350
Referee: Adham Makhadmeh (Jordan)

24 March 2016 (2016-03-24)
18:30 UTC+4:30
Iraq  2–2  Thailand
Kamel  66'
Adnan  90+5'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Mongkol  39'
Adisak  86'
PAS Stadium, Tehran (Iran)[note 11]
Attendance: 4,000
Referee: Abdulrahman Al-Jassim (Qatar)

29 March 2016 (2016-03-29)
18:30 UTC+4:30
Iraq  1–0  Vietnam
Abdul-Raheem  45+1' Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
PAS Stadium, Tehran (Iran)[note 11]
Attendance: 2,160
Referee: Peter Green (Australia)

Group G

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  South Korea 8 8 0 0 27 0 +27 24 Third round and Asian Cup 1–0 3–0[lower-alpha 1] 4–0 8–0
2  Lebanon 8 3 2 3 12 6 +6 11 Asian Cup qualifying third round 0–3 0–1 1–1 7–0
3  Kuwait[lower-alpha 1] 8 3 1 4 12 10 +2 10 0–1 0–0 9–0 0–3[lower-alpha 1]
4  Myanmar 8 2 2 4 9 21 12 8 0–2 0–2 3–0[lower-alpha 1] 3–1
5  Laos 8 1 1 6 6 29 23 4 Asian Cup qualifying play-off round 0–5 0–2 0–2 2–2
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers
Notes:
  1. 1 2 3 4 On 16 October 2015, FIFA announced that the Kuwait Football Association (KFA) was suspended with immediate effect, following a decision from the FIFA Executive Committee that sports law of Kuwait had to be changed before 15 October.[27] The Myanmar v Kuwait match, scheduled for 17 November 2015, was not played due to that suspension,[28] and on 13 January 2016, FIFA decided that that match should be forfeited by Kuwait, and awarded as a 3–0 win for Myanmar.[29] The Kuwait v Laos and South Korea v Kuwait matches, scheduled for 24 and 29 March 2016 respectively, did not take place as scheduled, and on 6 April, FIFA decided that those matches should be forfeited by Kuwait, and awarded as 3–0 wins for Laos and South Korea.[30]

11 June 2015 (2015-06-11)
19:00 UTC+7
Laos  2–2  Myanmar
Sayavutthi  81' (pen.), 83' Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Zaw Min Tun  41'
Kyaw Zayar Win  85'
New Laos National Stadium, Vientiane
Attendance: 1,500
Referee: Tan Hai (China)

11 June 2015 (2015-06-11)
17:00 UTC+3
Lebanon  0–1  Kuwait
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Nasser  86'

16 June 2015 (2015-06-16)
19:00 UTC+7
Myanmar  0–2  South Korea
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Lee Jae-sung  35'
Son Heung-min  67'

16 June 2015 (2015-06-16)
19:00 UTC+7
Laos  0–2  Lebanon
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Ghaddar  5'
Shamsin  75'
New Laos National Stadium, Vientiane
Attendance: 2,500
Referee: Yu Ming-hsun (Chinese Taipei)

3 September 2015 (2015-09-03)
20:00 UTC+9
South Korea  8–0  Laos
Lee Chung-yong  9'
Son Heung-min  12', 74', 89'
Kwon Chang-hoon  30', 75'
Suk Hyun-jun  57'
Lee Jae-sung  90+4'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Hwaseong Stadium, Hwaseong
Attendance: 30,205
Referee: Jumpei Iida (Japan)

3 September 2015 (2015-09-03)
20:00 UTC+3
Kuwait  9–0  Myanmar
Nasser  11', 18'
Maqseed  12'
Zayid  46'
Zaw Min Tun  56' (o.g.)
Mashaan  61'
Al-Mutawa  69' (pen.), 88', 90+3'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha (Qatar)[note 13]
Attendance: 550
Referee: Aziz Asimov (Uzbekistan)

8 September 2015 (2015-09-08)
19:00 UTC+7
Laos  0–2  Kuwait
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Nasser  31'
Al-Mutawa  84' (pen.)

8 September 2015 (2015-09-08)
17:00 UTC+3
Lebanon  0–3  South Korea
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Jang Hyun-soo  22' (pen.)
Ali Hamam  26' (o.g.)
Kwon Chang-hoon  60'

8 October 2015 (2015-10-08)
19:00 UTC+7
Myanmar  0–2  Lebanon
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Maatouk  28'
Atwi  90+3'
Suphachalasai Stadium, Bangkok (Thailand)[note 12]
Attendance: 3,056
Referee: Mohd Nafeez Abdul Wahab (Malaysia)

8 October 2015 (2015-10-08)
17:55 UTC+3
Kuwait  0–1  South Korea
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Koo Ja-cheol  12'

13 October 2015 (2015-10-13)
19:00 UTC+7
Myanmar  3–1  Laos
Suan Lam Mang  13'
Kyaw Ko Ko  32'
Aung Thu  50'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Sayavutthi  2'

13 October 2015 (2015-10-13)
19:30 UTC+3
Kuwait  0–0  Lebanon
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)

12 November 2015 (2015-11-12)
20:00 UTC+9
South Korea  4–0  Myanmar
Lee Jae-sung  18'
Koo Ja-cheol  30'
Jang Hyun-soo  82'
Nam Tae-hee  86'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Suwon World Cup Stadium, Suwon
Attendance: 24,270
Referee: Khamis Al-Marri (Qatar)

12 November 2015 (2015-11-12)
17:00 UTC+2
Lebanon  7–0  Laos
Mohamad  27'
Antar  34'
Chaito  36', 90+3'
Hamam  42'
Maatouk  59'
Oumari  90'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)

17 November 2015 (2015-11-17)
19:00 UTC+7
Laos  0–5  South Korea
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Ki Sung-yueng  3' (pen.), 33'
Son Heung-min  35', 67'
Suk Hyun-jun  43'
New Laos National Stadium, Vientiane
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: Turki Al-Khudhayr (Saudi Arabia)

24 March 2016 (2016-03-24)
20:00 UTC+9
South Korea  1–0  Lebanon
Lee Jeong-hyeop  90+3' Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Ansan Wa~ Stadium, Ansan
Attendance: 30,532
Referee: Ma Ning (China)

29 March 2016 (2016-03-29)
15:00 UTC+3
Lebanon  1–1  Myanmar
El-Helwe  88' Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Aung Thu  73'

Group H

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Uzbekistan 8 7 0 1 20 7 +13 21 Third round and Asian Cup 3–1 1–0 1–0 1–0
2  North Korea 8 5 1 2 14 8 +6 16 Asian Cup qualifying third round 4–2 0–0 2–0 1–0
3  Philippines 8 3 1 4 8 12 4 10 1–5 3–2 2–1 0–1
4  Bahrain 8 3 0 5 10 10 0 9 0–4 0–1 2–0 3–0
5  Yemen 8 1 0 7 2 17 15 3 Asian Cup qualifying play-off round 1–3 0–3[lower-alpha 1] 0–2 0–4
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers
Notes:
  1. FIFA awarded North Korea a 3–0 win as a result of Yemen fielding the ineligible player Mudir Al-Radaei, after North Korea had defeated Yemen 1–0. Al-Radaei failed to serve an automatic one match suspension for receiving two yellow cards earlier in the First Round of the competition.[37]

11 June 2015 (2015-06-11)
20:00 UTC+8
Philippines  2–1  Bahrain
Bahadoran  50'
Patiño  60'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Al-Malood  90+3'

11 June 2015 (2015-06-11)
19:00 UTC+3
Yemen  0–3
Awarded[note 19]
 North Korea
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
So Hyon-uk  71'

16 June 2015 (2015-06-16)
19:00 UTC+3
Yemen  0–2  Philippines
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Bahadoran  52'
Ramsay  74'

3 September 2015 (2015-09-03)
19:00 UTC+5
Uzbekistan  1–0  Yemen
Geynrikh  51' Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)

3 September 2015 (2015-09-03)
18:40 UTC+3
Bahrain  0–1  North Korea
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Jong Il-gwan  42'
Bahrain National Stadium, Riffa
Attendance: 9,500
Referee: Mohsen Torky (Iran)

8 September 2015 (2015-09-08)
20:00 UTC+8
Philippines  1–5  Uzbekistan
Schröck  68' Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Ahmedov  1'
Rashidov  14', 80'
Sergeev  43', 65'

8 September 2015 (2015-09-08)
19:00 UTC+3
Yemen  0–4  Bahrain
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Ali Baba  31' (pen.)
Al-Husaini  45+1'
Omar  66'
Adnan  77'
Grand Hamad Stadium, Doha (Qatar)[note 20]
Attendance: 421
Referee: Turki Al-Khudhayr (Saudi Arabia)

8 October 2015 (2015-10-08)
16:00 UTC+8:30
North Korea  0–0  Philippines
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Kim Il-sung Stadium, Pyongyang
Attendance: 41,000
Referee: Ma Ning (China)

8 October 2015 (2015-10-08)
18:00 UTC+3
Bahrain  0–4  Uzbekistan
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Sergeev  52'
Ahmedov  56'
Rashidov  66'
Shomurodov  90+5'

13 October 2015 (2015-10-13)
16:00 UTC+8:30
North Korea  1–0  Yemen
Jong Il-gwan  12' (pen.) Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)

13 October 2015 (2015-10-13)
18:00 UTC+3
Bahrain  2–0  Philippines
Abdullatif  53'
Adnan  61'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)

12 November 2015 (2015-11-12)
20:00 UTC+8
Philippines  0–1  Yemen
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
A. Al-Sarori  83'
Rizal Memorial Stadium, Manila
Attendance: 6,478
Referee: Kim Hee-gon (South Korea)

12 November 2015 (2015-11-12)
18:00 UTC+5
Uzbekistan  3–1  North Korea
Sergeev  23'
Geynrikh  65'
Ahmedov  87'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Ri Hyok-chol  2'

17 November 2015 (2015-11-17)
15:30 UTC+8:30
North Korea  2–0  Bahrain
Pak Kwang-ryong  45+1' (pen.)
Jong Il-gwan  90+3'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)

17 November 2015 (2015-11-17)
18:30 UTC+3
Yemen  1–3  Uzbekistan
A. Al-Sarori  90+2' Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Haydarov  7'
Djeparov  31'
Andreev  50'

24 March 2016 (2016-03-24)
18:00 UTC+5
Uzbekistan  1–0  Philippines
Ismailov  59' Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Bunyodkor Stadium, Tashkent
Attendance: 34,000
Referee: Ryuji Sato (Japan)

24 March 2016 (2016-03-24)
18:30 UTC+3
Bahrain  3–0  Yemen
Abdulatif  32' (pen.)
Al-Malood  63'
Al Romaihi  90+2'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
Bahrain National Stadium, Riffa
Attendance: 1,000
Referee: Ahmed Al-Kaf (Oman)

29 March 2016 (2016-03-29)
20:00 UTC+8
Philippines  3–2  North Korea
Bahadoran  43'
Ott  84'
Ramsay  90'
Report (FIFA)
Report (AFC)
So Kyong-jin  45+2'
Ri Hyok-chol  48'

Ranking of runner-up teams

To determine the four best runner-up teams, the following criteria were used:

  1. Points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss)
  2. Goal difference
  3. Goals scored
  4. Play-off match(es) on neutral ground (if approved by FIFA Organizing Committee), with extra time and penalty shoot-out if necessary

As a result of Indonesia being disqualified due to FIFA suspension, Group F contained only four teams compared to five teams in all other groups. Therefore, the results against the fifth-placed team were not counted when determining the ranking of the runner-up teams.[39]

Pos Grp Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 F  Iraq 6 3 3 0 13 6 +7 12 Third round and Asian Cup
2 E  Syria 6 4 0 2 14 11 +3 12
3 A  United Arab Emirates 6 3 2 1 16 4 +12 11
4 C  China PR 6 3 2 1 9 1 +8 11
5 H  North Korea 6 3 1 2 10 8 +2 10 Asian Cup qualifying third round
6 B  Jordan 6 3 1 2 9 7 +2 10
7 D  Oman 6 2 2 2 6 6 0 8
8 G  Lebanon 6 1 2 3 3 6 3 5
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: 1) Points from matches against teams ranked first, third and fourth in the group; 2) Goal difference from these matches; 3) Goals scored in these matches; 4) Play-off

Ranking of fourth-placed teams

To determine the four best fourth-placed teams, the following criteria were used:

  1. Points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss)
  2. Goal difference
  3. Goals scored
  4. Play-off match(es) on neutral ground (if approved by AFC Organizing Committee), with extra time and penalty shoot-out if necessary

As a result of Indonesia being disqualified due to FIFA suspension, Group F contains only four teams compared to five teams in all other groups. Therefore, the results against the fifth-placed team are not counted when determining the ranking of the fourth-placed teams.[39]

Pos Grp Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 D  Guam 6 1 1 4 1 14 13 4 Asian Cup qualifying third round
2 G  Myanmar 6 1 1 4 4 18 14 4
3 H  Bahrain 6 1 0 5 3 10 7 3
4 E  Afghanistan 6 1 0 5 4 24 20 3
5 B  Tajikistan 6 0 1 5 3 19 16 1 Asian Cup qualifying play-off round
6 F  Chinese Taipei 6 0 0 6 5 19 14 0
7 C  Maldives 6 0 0 6 0 15 15 0
8 A  Malaysia 6 0 0 6 1 29 28 0
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: 1) Points from matches against teams ranked first to third in the group; 2) Goal difference from these matches; 3) Goals scored in these matches; 4) Play-off

Goalscorers

There were 507 goals scored in 152 matches, for an average of 3.34 goals per match.

14 goals
11 goals
8 goals
7 goals
6 goals
5 goals
4 goals
3 goals
2 goals
1 goal
1 own goal

Notes

  1. 1 2 The fixtures between Saudi Arabia and Palestine were switched after Saudi Arabia cited “exceptional conditions” for their inability to travel to the West Bank.[10] The return fixture, originally to be played on 13 October 2015 at the Faisal Al-Husseini International Stadium, Al-Ram, was later postponed due to Saudi Arabia's refusal to pass through Israeli-controlled borders,[11] until the process of agreeing on the venue was concluded.[12] The match was rescheduled to be played on 5 November 2015 in Palestine, after the Palestinian Football Association gave full security guarantees for the match.[13] The match was later further delayed until 9 November, and to be changed to a neutral venue in Asia, as the Palestinian government confirmed that it could no longer guarantee the safety and security for the match.[14] The neutral venue was announced to be Amman International Stadium in Amman, Jordan.[15]
  2. Timor-Leste played their home match against the United Arab Emirates in Malaysia due to the lack of a suitable venue in Dili.[16]
  3. 1 2 The match between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia was abandoned during the 87th minute after a group of supporters threw objects onto the pitch. At the time of the abandonment the score was 2–1 to Saudi Arabia. On 5 October 2015, FIFA decided that the match should be declared as lost by forfeit by Malaysia (0–3). Malaysia also had to play their next home match against the United Arab Emirates behind closed doors.[17][18]
  4. 1 2 The home matches of Palestine against Saudi Arabia and Malaysia were played on neutral ground as the Palestinian government confirmed that it could no longer guarantee the safety and security for the matches.[14] The neutral venue was announced to be Amman International Stadium in Amman, Jordan.[15]
  5. Maldives played their home match against China PR in China due to the poor condition of the National Football Stadium.[19]
  6. FIFA awarded Iran a 3–0 win as a result of India fielding the ineligible player Eugeneson Lyngdoh.[20] The match initially ended 3–0 to Iran.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Afghanistan played their home matches in Iran due to security concerns from the War in Afghanistan.[21]
  8. 1 2 The fixtures between Japan and Singapore were switched due to the Singapore National Stadium being booked on 16 June 2015 to host the closing ceremony of the 2015 Southeast Asian Games.[22]
  9. 1 2 3 4 Syria played their home matches in Oman due to security concerns from the Syrian Civil War.[23]
  10. The Thailand v Vietnam match was brought forward from 11 June 2015, as it interfered with commitments for the 2015 Southeast Asian Games.[26]
  11. 1 2 3 Iraq played their home matches in Iran due to security concerns from the Iraqi Civil War.[21]
  12. 1 2 3 Myanmar played their home matches in Thailand due to sanctions after a crowd violence incident in their qualifier in Yangon in the 2014 FIFA World Cup preliminary round.[31]
  13. Kuwait played their home match against Myanmar in Qatar due to unspecified reasons.[32]
  14. The Myanmar v Kuwait match, originally to be played on 17 November 2015, 19:00 UTC+7, at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, was not played as due to the suspension of the Kuwait Football Association by FIFA.[33]
  15. On 13 January 2016, FIFA decided that the match scheduled for 17 November 2015 should be forfeited by Kuwait (and awarded as a 3–0 win for Myanmar) as it did not take place due to a suspension of the Kuwait Football Association.[34][35]
  16. The Kuwait v Laos match, originally to be played on 24 March 2016, 18:35 UTC+3, at the Al Kuwait Sports Club Stadium, Kuwait City, was not played as due to the suspension of the Kuwait Football Association by FIFA.[33]</ref>
    Kuwait  0–3
    Awarded[note 17]
  17. On 6 April 2016, FIFA decided that the match scheduled for 24 March 2016 should be forfeited by Kuwait (and awarded as a 3–0 win for Laos) as it did not take place due to a suspension of the Kuwait Football Association.[35]<ref name='fifa2'>"Kuwait’s matches against Laos and Korea Republic forfeited". FIFA. 6 April 2016. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  18. The South Korea v Kuwait match, originally to be played on 29 March 2016, 20:00 UTC+9, at the Daegu World Cup Stadium, Daegu, was not played as due to the suspension of the Kuwait Football Association by FIFA.[33]</ref>
    South Korea  3–0
    Awarded<ref name='south korea-kuwait' group='note'>On 6 April 2016, FIFA decided that the match scheduled for 29 March 2016 should be forfeited by Kuwait (and awarded as a 3–0 win for South Korea) as it did not take place due to a suspension of the Kuwait Football Association.[35][36]
  19. FIFA awarded North Korea a 3–0 win as a result of Yemen fielding the ineligible player Mudir Al-Radaei, after North Korea had defeated Yemen by 1–0. Al-Radaei failed to serve an automatic one match suspension for receiving two yellow cards earlier in the First Round of the competition.[37]
  20. 1 2 3 4 Yemen played their home matches in Qatar due to security concerns from the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen.[38]

References

  1. "ExCo approves expanded AFC Asian Cup finals". AFC. 16 April 2014.
  2. "World Cup draw looms large in Asia". FIFA.com. 13 April 2015. Completing the tournament's qualifying contenders will be the next 16 highest ranked teams, with the remaining 12 sides battling it out in play-off matches to claim the last eight spots.
  3. "Draw date set for Round 2 of 2018 World Cup, 2019 Asian Cup qualifiers". AFC. 26 March 2015.
  4. "Draw: Russia 2018 / UAE 2019 Joint Qualification Round 2". AFC. 15 April 2015.
  5. "FIFA Men's Ranking – April 2015 (AFC)". FIFA.com. 8 January 2015.
  6. "Draw for Russia 2018, UAE 2019 Round 2 qualifiers looms large". AFC. 13 April 2015.
  7. "Regulations – 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia" (PDF). FIFA.com.
  8. Rashvinjeet S. Bedi; T. Avineshwaran (8 September 2015). "Malaysia-Saudi match abandoned after crowd trouble". The Star. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  9. "Malaysian FA sanctioned after abandonment of FIFA World Cup qualifier". FIFA.com. 5 October 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
  10. "Palestine and Saudi Arabia agree to swap venues for World Cup qualifier". The National (UAE). 8 June 2015.
  11. "World Cup 2018: Palestinians and Saudi Arabia at loggerheads over key game". CNN. 29 September 2015.
  12. "FIFA statement on the Palestine-Saudi Arabia 2018 FIFA World Cup™ qualifier". FIFA.com. 7 October 2015.
  13. "Palestine vs Saudi Arabia 2018 FIFA World Cup™ qualifier to be played on 5 November". FIFA.com. 21 October 2015.
  14. 1 2 "Palestine to play Saudi Arabia and Malaysia on neutral ground". FIFA.com. 4 November 2015.
  15. 1 2 "Amman the venue for Palestine qualifiers". FIFA.com. 5 November 2015.
  16. "S. Korea to travel to Southeast Asia for friendly, World Cup qualifier". Yonhap News Agency. 26 May 2015.
  17. "VIDEO: Malaysia vs Saudi Arabia halted indefinitely as crowd gets hostile". Fourth Official. 8 September 2015. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  18. "Malaysian FA sanctioned after abandonment of FIFA World Cup qualifier". FIFA.com. 5 October 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
  19. "足协公布FIFA确认函 敲定国足客战马代易地沈阳" [FIFA confirmed that the Maldives vs. China match would be played in Shenyang, China] (in Chinese). Sohu. 20 August 2015.
  20. 1 2 "DISCIPLINARY OVERVIEW – 2018 FIFA WORLD CUP RUSSIA™ QUALIFIERS" (PDF). FIFA. 1 February 2016.
  21. 1 2 "Crisis-Hit Countries Can Play World Cup Qualifiers in Iran". persianfootball.com. 29 April 2015.
  22. "Japan, Singapore approve swapping venues for World Cup qualifiers". The Japan Times. 24 April 2015.
  23. "Neutral venues set for Japan matches". The Japan News. 26 May 2015.
  24. "Current allocation of FIFA World Cup™ confederation slots maintained". FIFA.com. 30 May 2015.
  25. "Impact of Football Association of Indonesia suspension". AFC. 3 June 2015.
  26. "FIFA reschedules Vietnam, Thailand match". Dantri International. 28 April 2015.
  27. "Suspension of the Kuwait Football Association". FIFA.com. 16 October 2015.
  28. "FIFA statement on Myanmar-Kuwait qualifier". FIFA.com. 17 November 2015.
  29. "Kuwait sanctioned after unplayed FIFA World Cup™ qualifier". FIFA. 13 January 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
  30. "Kuwait's matches against Laos and Korea Republic forfeited". FIFA.com. 6 April 2016.
  31. "FIFA confirms Afghanistan, Myanmar choice of neutral venues for World Cup qualifiers". Zurich: New Europe. Associated Press. 11 May 2015. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  32. "Qatar agrees to host joint Asian, World Cup qualifiers". Kuwait Times. 22 August 2015.
  33. 1 2 3 "فيفا يؤكد عدم اقامة مباراة مينمار" (in Arabic). Kuwait Football Association. 9 November 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  34. "Kuwait sanctioned after unplayed FIFA World Cup™ qualifier". FIFA. 13 January 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  35. 1 2 3 "FIFA sanctions several football associations after discriminatory chants by fans" (PDF). FIFA. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  36. 1 2 "Yemen sanctioned for fielding ineligible player". FIFA. 6 July 2015.
  37. "Yemen football team flees war by boat to make World Cup 2018 qualifier with North Korea". ibtimes.co.uk. 4 June 2015.
  38. 1 2 "Criteria to Determine the Rankings of Best-placed Teams among the Groups" (PDF). AFC.

External links

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