| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country |  Myanmar Singapore |
| Dates | 14-28 March 1998 |
| Teams | 5 |
| Venue(s) | 2 (in 2 host cities) |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 6 |
| Goals scored | 17 (2.83 per match) |
The 1998 AFF Championship qualification phase was co-hosted by Myanmar and Singapore from 14 to 18 March 1998 and 24 to 28 March 1998 respectively. There are three teams per group and the top two teams of each group qualify for the final tournament.
| Yangon | Singapore |
|---|---|
| Thuwunna Stadium | Jurong Stadium |
| Capacity: 50,000 | Capacity: 30,000 |
|
Matches played in Myanmar.
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Myanmar
|
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | +6 | 6 |
 Laos
|
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 3 |
 Brunei
|
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | −4 | 0 |
Matches played in Singapore.
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore
|
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 6 |
 Philippines
|
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 1 |
 Cambodia
|
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 1 |
Teams who finished Top 2 of the 2 groups will qualify to the main tournament.
| Team | Main tournament standing |
|---|---|
| Myanmar |
5th/Group Stage |
| Singapore |
Champions |
| Laos |
7th/Group Stage |
 Philippines |
8th/Group Stage |