Groups
| Group 1 | Group 2 | Group 3 | Group 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
- * Withdrew
| AFC Asian Qualifiers |
|---|
Qualification for the Asian Football Confederation's 1988 AFC Asian Cup finals held in Qatar between 2 and 18 December. Saudi Arabia defeated Republic of Korea in the final match in Doha.
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 4 February 1988 – 22 June 1988 |
| Teams | 20 (from 1 confederation) |
← 1984 1992 → | |
| Group 1 | Group 2 | Group 3 | Group 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
| Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 United Arab Emirates | 9 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 1 | +11 |
 China | 8 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 | +10 |
 North Yemen | 5 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
 Thailand | 4 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 12 | –7 |
 Bangladesh | 3 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9 | –8 |
 India | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 6 | –6 |
| United Arab Emirates | 3–0 | India |
|---|---|---|
Khamees  59'Mohamed 63'Al Talyani 67' | Report |
| China | 1–0 | India |
|---|---|---|
| Liu Haiguang 30' | Report |
| Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Kuwait | 7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | +9 |
 Japan | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 |
 Jordan | 5 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 |
 Malaysia | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | –2 |
 Pakistan | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 12 | –11 |
| Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Syria | 7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 2 | +6 |
 Iran | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 |
 North Korea | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 |
 Hong Kong | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | –5 |
 Nepal | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 7 | –7 |
| Syria | 2–1 | North Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Al Nasser 28' Kareghli 90' | Kang Myong-sam 45' |
| Iran | 2–0 | Hong Kong |
|---|---|---|
| Ghayeghran 9' Marfavi 73' |
| Nepal | 0–1 | North Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Ju Kyong-shik 52' |
| Iran | 0–0 | North Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Bahrain | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 |
 South Korea | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 |
 Indonesia | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | –3 |
 South Yemen | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | –3 |
| Team | Qualified as | Qualified on | Previous appearance |
|---|---|---|---|
 Qatar | Hosts | N/A | 2 (1980, 1984) |
 Saudi Arabia | 1984 AFC Asian Cup champions | 16 December 1984 | 1 (1984) |
| United Arab Emirates | Group 1 winners | 17 February 1988 | 1 (1980, 1984) |
| China | Group 1 runners-up | 16 February 1988 | 3 (1976, 1980, 1984) |
| Kuwait | Group 2 winners | 18 April 1988 | 4 (1972, 1976, 1980, 1984) |
 Japan | Group 2 runners-up | 18 April 1988 | 0 (debut) |
| Syria | Group 3 winners | 3 June 1988 | 2 (1980, 1984) |
| Iran | Group 3 runners-up | 4 June 1988 | 5 (1968, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1984) |
| Bahrain | Group 4 winners | 22 June 1988 | 0 (debut) |
| South Korea | Group 4 runners-up | 22 June 1988 | 6 (1956, 1960, 1964, 1972, 1980, 1984) |
1988 AFC Asian Cup finalists | |
|---|---|
| Champions | |
| Runners-up | |
| Third place | |
| Fourth place | |
| Group stage | |
