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 |
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
1972 edition in Thailand
Kuwait squad – 1972 AFC Asian Cup
- 1 Al-Tarabulsi
- 2 Ibrahim
- 3 Duraihem
- 4 Abdullah
- 5 Al-Assousi
- 6 Ashoor
- 7 Al-Asfoor
- 8 Saeed
- 9 Al-Jassas
- 10 Ibrahim
- 11 Hamad
- 12 Mohammed
- 13 Sultan
- 14 Nadar
- 15 Ashoor
- 16 Marzouq
- 17 Khalaf
- 18 Sattam
- 19 Al-Najdi
- 20 Hammad
- Coach: Broćić
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Group allocation match
Group B
Source: [citation needed]
1976 edition in Iran
Kuwait squad – 1976 AFC Asian Cup runners-up |
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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]
Semi-finals
Final
Attendance: 100,000[citation needed]
1980 edition in Kuwait
Kuwait squad – 1980 AFC Asian Cup winners (1st title) |
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Group B
Source: [citation needed]
Semi-finals
Final
1984 edition in Singapore
Kuwait squad – 1984 AFC Asian Cup third place |
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Group A
Source: [citation needed]
Semi-finals
Third place play-off
1988 edition in Qatar
Kuwait squad – 1988 AFC Asian Cup |
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Group B
Source: [citation needed]
Referee: Yusuf Namoğlu (
Turkey)
Kuwait | 2–2 | China |
Adel Abbas 60' (pen.) Mansour Basha 62' | Report | Ma Lin 10', 87' |
1996 edition in the UAE
Kuwait squad – 1996 AFC Asian Cup fourth place |
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Group A
Source: [citation needed]
Attendance: 15,000
Referee: Charles Massembe (
Uganda)
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Third place play-off
2000 edition in Lebanon
Kuwait squad – 2000 AFC Asian Cup |
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Group B
Source: [citation needed]
Attendance: 2,000
Referee: Tajaddin Fares (
Syria)
Quarter-finals
2004 edition in China
Kuwait squad – 2004 AFC Asian Cup |
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Group B
Source: [citation needed]
2011 edition in Qatar
Kuwait squad – 2011 AFC Asian Cup |
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Group A
Source: [citation needed]
2015 edition in Australia
Kuwait squad – 2015 AFC Asian Cup |
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Group A
Source: Asian Cup Australia 2015
Rules for classification:
Tiebreakers(H) Hosts
See also
References
- ^ "Kuwait faces exclusion from Asian Cup if FIFA ban remains". USA Today.
- ^ "Asian Cup: Australia 4-1 Kuwait | Match report". TheGuardian.com. 9 January 2015.
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General | |
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Stadia | |
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FIFA World Cup | |
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AFC Asian Cup | |
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Other tournaments | |
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Goals | |
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Statistics | |
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Rivalries | |
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Notable matches | |
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Other national teams | |
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AFF | |
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CAFA | |
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EAFF | |
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SAFF | |
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WAFF | |
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Former | |
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1 Considered a successor team by FIFA, or have competed under other name(s). 2 Israel was a member of the AFC until 1974. 3 Recognized by FIFA as defunct. |