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]
AFC Asian Cup record | AFC Asian Cup qualification | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Result | Position | GP | W | D* | L | GF | GA | GP | 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 | 4th | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | Qualified automatically due to withdrawal of others in the Group | ||||||
1980 | Champions | 1st | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 6 | Qualified as hosts | ||||||
1984 | Third Place | 3rd | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 | Qualified automatically 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 | Quarterfinals | 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 | Disqualified from qualification due to FIFA sanction | |||||||||||||
2023 | Did not qualify | 11 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 24 | 13 | ||||||||
Total | Best: Champions | 10/18 | 42 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 47 | 51 | 50 | 26 | 14 | 10 | 118 | 46 |
Main article: 1972 AFC Asian Cup |
Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
South Korea | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 2 |
Khmer Republic | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 2 |
Kuwait | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 2 |
South Korea | 1–2 | Kuwait |
---|---|---|
Park Lee-Chun 2' (pen.) | Sultan 25' Duraiham 73' |
Khmer Republic | 4–0 | Kuwait |
---|---|---|
Doeur Sokhom 23' Sok Sun Hean 56' Tes Sean 59' Sea Cheng Eang 80' |
Main article: 1976 AFC Asian Cup |
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 |
Main article: 1980 AFC Asian Cup |
Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
South Korea | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 2 | +8 | 7 |
Kuwait | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 5 | +3 | 5 |
Malaysia | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 4 |
Qatar | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | −5 | 3 |
United Arab Emirates | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 9 | −6 | 1 |
United Arab Emirates | 1–1 | Kuwait |
---|---|---|
Chombi 35' | Al-Houti 19' |
Kuwait | 0–3 | South Korea |
---|---|---|
Hwang Seok-keun 47' Choi Soon-ho 71', 78' |
Kuwait | 3–0 | South Korea |
---|---|---|
Al-Houti 8' Al-Dakhil 34', 69' |
Main article: 1984 AFC Asian Cup |
Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saudi Arabia | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 6 |
Kuwait | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 5 |
Qatar | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
Syria | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | −2 | 3 |
South Korea | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 2 |
Kuwait | 1 – 0 | Qatar |
---|---|---|
Al-Rumaihi 52' (o.g.) |
South Korea | 0 – 0 | Kuwait |
---|---|---|
Kuwait | 3 – 1 | Syria |
---|---|---|
Mahrous 66' (o.g.) Al-Dakhil 77' A. Al-Buloushi 79' |
Abu Al-Sel 5' |
Kuwait | 0 – 1 | Saudi Arabia |
---|---|---|
Al-Jam'an 88' |
Iran | 1 – 1 | Kuwait |
---|---|---|
Mohammadkhani 80' | Al-Haddad 26' | |
Penalties | ||
Hajiloo Derakhshan Ahadi Mokhtarifar |
3 – 5 | Al-Dakhil Al-Suwayed Juma'a Al-Jasem Al-Qabendi |
Main article: 1988 AFC Asian Cup |
Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saudi Arabia | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 6 |
China | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 5 |
Syria | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 4 |
Kuwait | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 3 |
Bahrain | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 2 |
Kuwait | 0–0 | Bahrain |
---|---|---|
Report |
Saudi Arabia | 0–0 | Kuwait |
---|---|---|
Report |
Main article: 1996 AFC Asian Cup |
Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
United Arab Emirates | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 7 |
Kuwait | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 4 |
South Korea | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 4 |
Indonesia | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 8 | −4 | 1 |
United Arab Emirates | 3–2 | Kuwait |
---|---|---|
Saeed 53' Al-Talyani 55' B. Saad 80' |
Report | Al-Huwaidi 9', 44' |
Kuwait | 2–0 | South Korea |
---|---|---|
Al-Huwaidi 60' B. Abdullah 87' |
Report |
Kuwait | 2–0 | Japan |
---|---|---|
Al-Huwaidi 17', 54' | Report |
United Arab Emirates | 1–0 | Kuwait |
---|---|---|
Saeed 69' | Report |
Iran | 1–1 | Kuwait |
---|---|---|
Daei 40' | Report | Al-Huwaidi 15' |
Penalties | ||
Moharrami Estili Peyrovani Bagheri |
3–2 | Badr Haji Bashar Abdullah Al-Lenqawi Abdulrahman Al-Huwaidi |
Main article: 2000 AFC Asian Cup |
Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
China | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 5 |
Kuwait | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 5 |
South Korea | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 4 |
Indonesia | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 | −7 | 1 |
South Korea | 0–1 | Kuwait |
---|---|---|
Report | Al-Huwaidi 43' |
Kuwait | 2–3 (a.e.t.) | Saudi Arabia |
---|---|---|
Bashar Abdullah 62' Al-Huwaidi 68' |
Report | Al-Temyat 45+1' 109' Al-Meshal 72' |
Main article: 2004 AFC Asian Cup |
Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
South Korea | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | +6 | 7 |
Jordan | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 5 |
Kuwait | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 | −4 | 3 |
United Arab Emirates | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 1 |
Kuwait | 3–1 | United Arab Emirates |
---|---|---|
B. Abdullah 24' Al-Mutawa 39' (pen.), 45' |
Report | Rashid 47' |
South Korea | 4–0 | Kuwait |
---|---|---|
Lee Dong-Gook 25', 41' Cha Du-Ri 45+1' Ahn Jung-Hwan 75' |
Report |
Main article: 2011 AFC Asian Cup |
Main article: 2011 AFC Asian Cup Group A |
Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Uzbekistan | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 7 |
Qatar | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 6 |
China | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
Kuwait | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7 | −6 | 0 |
8 January 2011 | ||
Kuwait | 0–2 | China |
12 January 2011 | ||
Uzbekistan | 2–1 | Kuwait |
16 January 2011 | ||
Qatar | 3–0 | Kuwait |
Main article: 2015 AFC Asian Cup |
Main article: 2015 AFC Asian Cup Group A |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | South Korea | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 9 | Advance to knockout stage |
2 | Australia (H) | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 2 | +6 | 6 | |
3 | Oman | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 3 | |
4 | Kuwait | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | −5 | 0 |
9 January 2015 | |||
Australia | 4–1[2] | Kuwait | AAMI Park, Melbourne |
13 January 2015 | |||
Kuwait | 0–1 | South Korea | Canberra Stadium, Canberra |
17 January 2015 | |||
Oman | 1–0 | Kuwait | Newcastle Stadium, Newcastle |