1982 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC and OFC)

Format

There would be two rounds of play:

• First Round: The remaining 20 teams would be divided into 4 groups. The groups had different rules, as follows:
  • Group 1 had 5 teams. The teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winner would qualify.
  • Group 2 had 5 teams. The teams played against each other once in Saudi Arabia. The group winner would qualify.
  • Group 3 had 4 teams. The teams played against each other once in Kuwait. The group winner would qualify.
  • Group 4 had 6 teams. All matches were played in Hong Kong. There would be four stages of play:
    • Classification matches: All teams would be paired up to play preliminary matches to determine group classification.
    • Group stage: Based on the results of the classification matches, the 6 teams were divided into 2 groups of 3 teams each. The teams played against each other once. The group winners and runners-up would advance to the semifinals.
    • Semifinals: The winner of Group A played against the runner-up of Group B in a single match, and the winner of Group B played against the runner-up of Group A in a single match. The winners would advance to the Final.
    • Final: The 2 teams played against each other in a single match. The winner would advance to the Final Round.
• Final Round: The 4 teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winner and runner-up would qualify.

First round

Group 1

Wooddin Sumner Boden

Sumner

G. Turner

G. Turner

Davidson

B. Turner G. Turner Elrick

G. Turner

Kosmina Byrne

Jyn Tson

Barnes Sharne

Upendran Choy Risdianto Meli Vuilabasa John Morris Williams

Cole

Sumner G. Turner Cole B. Turner Mackay

New Zealand advanced to the Final Round.

Group 2

Salman

Dirjal

Muftah

Khudhair

Saudi Arabia advanced to the Final Round.

Group 3

Lee Kang-jo

J. Yaqoub Kameel Karam Al-Dakhil

Choi Jong-duk Oh Seok-jae Lee Tae-ho

M. Juma'a Al-Ghanem

Sompit

Al-Ghanem

Kuwait advanced to the Final Round.

To date, it is last time that South Korea failed to qualify.

Group 4

Classification matches

Li Chang-ha Kim Yong-nam

Based on the results, China PR, Japan and Macau were placed in Group A, while Hong Kong, Korea DPR and Singapore were placed in Group B.

Group 4A

Zuo Shusheng Rong Zhixing

Maeda Hasegawa

China and Japan advanced to the Group 4 Semifinals.

Group 4B

Wu Kwok Hung Li Yong-sob

Korea DPR and Hong Kong advanced to the Group 4 Semifinals.

Zonal semi-finals

|31 December 1980 – Hong Kong||0 (4)||0 (5) |30 December 1980 – Hong Kong||1||0 |4 January 1981 – Hong Kong| |4||2

Korea DPR advanced to the Group 4 Final.

Chee Yit Bo Chan Fat Chi Fung Chi Ming Wan Chi Keung Zuo Shusheng Chi Shangbin Wang Feng Rong Zhixing

China PR advanced to the Group 4 Final on penalties.

Zonal final

Chen Xirong Gu Guangming Kim Yong-nam

China PR advanced to the Final Round.

Final round

J. Yaqoub

Gu Guangming Shen Xiangfu

Chen Jingang Gu Guangming Huang Xiangdong Majed Abdullah

Cai Jinbiao

Herbert

Al-Hashash Rufer

B. Turner Wooddin

;Notes

Play-off

At the time, goals scored and head-to-head results were not used to rank teams level on points and goal difference. As China PR and New Zealand finished level on points and goal difference, a play-off on neutral ground was played to determine who would qualify.

The match was originally planned to be played in Kuala Lumpur until New Zealand protested due to the venue hosting previous matches for China. Melbourne was also considered before Singapore was ultimately chosen.

Rufer

Kuwait and New Zealand qualified.

Qualified teams

The following two teams from AFC and OFC qualified for the final tournament.

:1 Bold indicates champions for that year. Italic indicates hosts for that year.

Goalscorers

;9 goals

• AUS Gary Cole
• NZL Steve Sumner
• NZL Brian Turner

;8 goals

• NZL Grant Turner
• NZL Steve Wooddin

;5 goals

• CHN Huang Xiangdong
• KUW Abdulaziz Al-Anberi

;4 goals

• CHN Gu Guangming
• KUW Faisal Al-Dakhil
• NZL Wynton Rufer

;3 goals

• AUS Dave Mitchell
• CHN Rong Zhixing
• TPE Deng Chyan
• FIJ Ratu Jone
• KUW Jasem Yaqoub
• PRK Kim Yong-nam
• PRK Li Yong-sob
• QAT Mansour Muftah
• KSA Majed Abdullah

;2 goals

• AUS John Kosmina
• AUS Eddie Krncevic
• CHN Chen Jingang
• CHN Zuo Shusheng
• FIJ Meli Vuilabasa
• IDN Herry Risdianto
• JPN Kazushi Kimura
• KUW Nassir Al-Ghanem
• KUW Fathi Kameel
• MAS Ibrahim Din
• NZL Ricki Herbert
• PRK Li Chang-ha
• KSA Saud Jassem
• KOR Choi Soon-ho
• SYR Shait Ahmed Jehad

;1 goal

• AUS Murray Barnes
• AUS Ken Boden
• AUS Gary Byrne
• AUS Alan Davidson
• AUS Tony Henderson
• AUS Peter Sharne
• BHR Fouad Bushegir
• CHN Cai Jinbiao
• CHN Chen Xirong
• CHN Shen Xiangfu
• TPE Chang Kuo Chi
• TPE Jyn Tson
• FIJ John Morris Williams
• HKG Choi Jork Yee
• HKG Wan Chi Keung
• HKG Wu Kwok Hung
• IDN Hadi Ismanto
• IDN Budi Johannis
• IRQ Nazar Ashraf
• IRQ Hadi Ahmed
• IRQ Adnan Dirjal
• IRQ Adel Khudhair
• IRQ Hussein Saeed
• JPN Haruhisa Hasegawa
• JPN Hideki Maeda
• KUW Sami Al-Hashash
• KUW Mahboub Juma'a
• KUW Mohammed Karam
• MAS James Wong Chye Fook
• NZL Duncan Cole
• NZL Adrian Elrick
• NZL Keith Mackay
• NZL Billy McClure
• PRK Li Yong-man
• QAT Ibrahim Khalfan
• QAT Khalid Salman
• KSA Shaye Al Nafeesah
• KSA Ahmed Al Nifawi
• KSA Yousef Aboloya
• KSA Amin Dabo
• SIN Thasmbiayah Pathmanathan
• KOR Choi Jong-duk
• KOR Hong Sung-ho
• KOR Lee Kang-jo
• KOR Lee Tae-ho
• KOR Oh Seok-jae
• THA Piyapong Pue-On
• THA Khan Thatat Songwuti
• THA Sompit Suwannapluoh

;1 own goal

• FIJ Upendran Choy (playing against Indonesia)

References

References

1. (21 December 1981). "Spanish play off for China?". [[The Standard (London).
2. (27 December 1981). "Sport Round-Up". [[The Sun-Herald]].