Saudi Arabia at the AFC Asian Cup
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Saudi Arabia is one of the most successful teams in Asia, having won three AFC Asian Cup titles and is one of the stronger teams in the continent. With influential experiences, the Saudi team has been a major force in the Asian Cup.
The Saudis first qualified to the Asian Cup was in 1984, and it was also the first time Saudi Arabia claimed the title. They repeated the feat in 1988 and 1996, before reaching two other finals, both ended in defeats. Having said, Saudi Arabia also has disappointing performances, notably 2004, 2011 and 2015, when Saudi Arabia crashed out from the group stage. Saudi Arabia will play in 2023 edition, looking on their quest to win the Asian Cup in the new millennia. Saudi Arabia will host the 2027 edition which will mark the first time that the country has ever hosted the Asian Cup.
1984 AFC Asian Cup
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Saudi Arabia
|
4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 6 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 |  Kuwait
|
4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 5 | |
| 3 |  Qatar
|
4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | |
| 4 |  Syria
|
4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | −2 | 3 | |
| 5 |  South Korea
|
4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 2 |
Source: RSSSF
| Saudi Arabia | 1–1 | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
Abdullah  90' |
Lee Tae-Ho 51' |
| Syria | 0–1 | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| Khalifa 66' |
| Qatar | 1–1 | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| Zaid 47' |
Abduljawad 65' |
| Kuwait | 0–1 | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| Al-Jam'an 88' |
Knockout stage
- Semi-finals
| Saudi Arabia | 1–1 (a.e.t.) |  Iran |
|---|---|---|
| Shahin Bayani 88' (o.g.) |
Shahrokh Bayani 43' |
|
| Penalties | ||
 |
5–4 | Hajiloo Mokhtarifar Derakhshan Panjali Shahrokh Bayani |
- Final
| Saudi Arabia | 2–0 |  China |
|---|---|---|
| Al-Nafisah 10' Abdullah 46' |
|  | |
1988 AFC Asian Cup
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saudi Arabia
|
4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 6 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | China
|
4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 5 | |
| 3 | Syria
|
4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 4 | |
| 4 | Kuwait
|
4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 3 | |
| 5 |  Bahrain
|
4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 2 |
Source: RSSSF
| Syria | 0–2 | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| Report | 82' |
Qatar SC Stadium, Doha
Referee: Erik Fredriksson (Sweden
)| Saudi Arabia | 0–0 | Kuwait |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Al-Ahly Stadium, Doha
Referee: Michel Vautrot (France
)| Saudi Arabia | 1–1 | Bahrain |
|---|---|---|
| Jazea'a 78' |
Report | F. Mohamed 44' (pen.) |
Qatar SC Stadium, Doha
Referee: Vincent Mauro (United States
)| China | 0–1 | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Al-Bishi 56' |
Al-Ahly Stadium, Doha
Referee: Mohamed Hansal (Algeria
)Knockout stage
- Semi-finals
| Saudi Arabia | 1–0 | Iran |
|---|---|---|
| Abdullah 16' |
Report |
Qatar SC Stadium, Doha
Attendance: 17,000
Referee: George Courtney (England
)- Final
a.e.t.) | Saudi Arabia | |
|---|---|---|
| Report | ||
| Penalties | ||
Cho Yoon-Hwan |
3–4 | |
Al-Ahly Stadium, Doha
Attendance: 20,000
Referee: Michel Vautrot (France
)
| | |
1992 AFC Asian Cup
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saudi Arabia
|
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 4 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | China
|
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 4 | |
| 3 | Qatar
|
3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 2 | |
| 4 |  Thailand
|
3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 2 |
Source: WorldFootball.net
| Saudi Arabia | 1–1 | China |
|---|---|---|
| Al-Thunayan 17' |
Report | Li Bing 41' |
| Saudi Arabia | 1–1 | Qatar |
|---|---|---|
Al-Muwallid 86' |
Report | Mustafa 74' |
Hiroshima Stadium, Hiroshima
Attendance: 4,000
Referee: Neji Jouini (Tunisia
)| Saudi Arabia | 4–0 | Thailand |
|---|---|---|
| Al-Owairan 4' Al-Bishi 19', 72'Al-Thunayan 64' |
Report |
Onomichi
Attendance: 4,000
Referee: Ali Bujsaim (United Arab Emirates
)Knockout stage
- Semi-finals
| Saudi Arabia | 2–0 |  United Arab Emirates |
|---|---|---|
| Al-Owairan 77' Al-Bishi 80' |
Report |
Hiroshima Stadium, Hiroshima
Attendance: 12,000
Referee: Rasheed Al-Jassas (Kuwait
)- Final
Japan  | 1–0 | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| Takagi 36' |
Report |
Syria
)
| | |
1996 AFC Asian Cup
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iran
|
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3 | +4 | 6 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Saudi Arabia
|
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3 | +4 | 6 | |
| 3 |  Iraq
|
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 6 | |
| 4 | Thailand
|
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 13 | −11 | 0 |
Source: RSSSF
| Saudi Arabia | 6–0 | Thailand |
|---|---|---|
| 52' |
Report |
Al-Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: Gamal Al-Ghandour (Egypt
)| Saudi Arabia | 1–0 | Iraq |
|---|---|---|
| Al-Mehallel 26' |
Report |
Al-Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
Attendance: 12,000
Referee: Ali Bujsaim (United Arab Emirates
)| Saudi Arabia | 0–3 | Iran |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Daei 12' Bagheri 37'Azizi 47' |
Al-Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
Attendance: 12,000
Referee: Masayoshi Okada (Japan
)Knockout stage
- Quarter-finals
| Saudi Arabia | 4–3 | China |
|---|---|---|
| Al-Thunayan 31', 65' Al-Jaber 34'Al-Mehallel 43' |
Report | Zhang Enhua 6', 89' Peng Weiguo 16' |
- Semi-finals
| Iran | 0–0 (a.e.t.) | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| Report | ||
| Penalties | ||
| Daei Peyrovani Yazdani Estili Bagheri Khakpour |
3–4 | Madani |
- Final
| United Arab Emirates | 0–0 (a.e.t.) | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| Report | ||
| Penalties | ||
| M. Ali Saleh K. Saad Saeed |
2–4 | Al-Muwallid |
| | |
2000 AFC Asian Cup
Group C
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Japan
|
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 3 | +10 | 7 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Saudi Arabia
|
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 4 | |
| 3 | Qatar
|
3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | |
| 4 |  Uzbekistan
|
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 14 | −12 | 1 |
Source: RSSSF
| Saudi Arabia | 1–4 | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| Morioka 90' (o.g.) |
Report | Yanagisawa 22' Takahara 37'Nanami 53'Ono 88' |
| Saudi Arabia | 0–0 | Qatar |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Syria
)| Saudi Arabia | 5–0 | Uzbekistan |
|---|---|---|
| Al-Otaibi 18' Al-Shalhoub 35', 78', 86'Al-Temyat 88' |
Report |
Kim Young-Joo (South Korea
)Knockout stage
- Quarter-finals
| Kuwait | 2–3 (a.e.t.) | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| Bashar Abdullah 62' Al-Huwaidi 68' |
Report | Al-Temyat 45+1'  109' Al-Meshal 72' |
- Semi-finals
South Korea  | 1–2 | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
Lee Dong-Gook 90+1' |
Report | Al-Meshal 76', 80' |
- Final
| Japan | 1–0 | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| Mochizuki 30' |
Report |
| | |
2004 AFC Asian Cup
Group C
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uzbekistan
|
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 9 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Iraq
|
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 6 | |
| 3 |  Turkmenistan
|
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 1 | |
| 4 | Saudi Arabia
|
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | −2 | 1 |
Source: RSSSF
| Saudi Arabia | 2–2 | Turkmenistan |
|---|---|---|
| Al-Qahtani 9' (pen.), 59' |
Report | 90+3' |
Sichuan Longquanyi Stadium, Chengdu
Attendance: 12,400
Referee: Chaiwat Kunsata (Thailand
)| Uzbekistan | 1–0 | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| Geynrikh 13' |
Report |
Sichuan Longquanyi Stadium, Chengdu
Attendance: 22,000
Referee: Coffi Codjia (Benin
)| Saudi Arabia | 1–2 |  Iraq |
|---|---|---|
| Al-Montashari 57' |
Report | Akram 51' Mahmoud 86' |
Kwon Jong-Chul (South Korea
)
| | |
2007 AFC Asian Cup
Group D
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saudi Arabia
|
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | +5 | 7 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | South Korea
|
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | |
| 3 |  Indonesia (H)
|
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 3 | |
| 4 |  Bahrain
|
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 | −4 | 3 |
| South Korea | 1–1 | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
Choi Sung-Kuk 66' |
Report | Y. Al-Qahtani 77' (pen.) |
Australia
)| Saudi Arabia | 2–1 | Indonesia |
|---|---|---|
| Y. Al-Qahtani 12' Al-Harthi 90' |
Report | Aiboy 17' |
| Saudi Arabia | 4–0 | Bahrain |
|---|---|---|
| Al-Mousa 18' A. Al-Qahtani 45'Al-Jassim 68', 79' |
Report |
Knockout stage
- Quarter-finals
| Saudi Arabia | 2–1 | Uzbekistan |
|---|---|---|
| Y. Al-Qahtani 3' Al-Mousa 75' |
Report | Solomin 82' |
Kwon Jong-Chul (South Korea
)- Semi-finals
| Japan | 2–3 | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| Nakazawa 37' Abe 53' |
Report | Y. Al-Qahtani 35' Mouath 47', 57' |
Australia
)- Final
| Iraq | 1–0 | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| Mahmoud 72' |
Report |
Australia
)
| | |
2011 AFC Asian Cup
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japan
|
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 2 | +6 | 7 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 |  Jordan
|
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 7 | |
| 3 | Syria
|
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 3 | |
| 4 | Saudi Arabia
|
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8 | −7 | 0 |
| 9 January 2011 | ||
| Saudi Arabia |
1–2 | Syria
|
| 13 January 2011 | ||
| Jordan |
1–0 | Saudi Arabia
|
| 17 January 2011 | ||
| Saudi Arabia |
0–5 | Japan
|
| | |
2015 AFC Asian Cup
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China
|
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 9 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Uzbekistan
|
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 6 | |
| 3 | Saudi Arabia
|
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 3 | |
| 4 |  North Korea
|
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7 | −5 | 0 |
| 10 January 2015 | |||
| Saudi Arabia |
0–1[1] | China |
Brisbane Stadium, Brisbane |
| 14 January 2015 | |||
| North Korea |
1–4[2] | Saudi Arabia |
AAMI Park, Melbourne |
| 18 January 2015 | |||
| Uzbekistan |
3–1 | Saudi Arabia |
AAMI Park, Melbourne |
| | |
2019 AFC Asian Cup
Group E
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Qatar
|
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | +10 | 9 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Saudi Arabia
|
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 6 | |
| 3 |  Lebanon
|
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 3 | |
| 4 | North Korea
|
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 14 | −13 | 0 |
Source: AFC
| Saudi Arabia | 4–0 | North Korea |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
Australia
)| Lebanon | 0–2 | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| Saudi Arabia | 0–2 | Qatar |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
Knockout stage
- Round of 16
| | |
2023 AFC Asian Cup
| | |
Group F
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saudi Arabia
|
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 7 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Thailand
|
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 5 | |
| 3 |  Oman
|
3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 2 | |
| 4 |  Kyrgyzstan
|
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 1 |
Source: AFC
| Saudi Arabia | 2–1 | Oman |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
Knockout stage
Round of 16
| Saudi Arabia | 1–1 (a.e.t.) |  South Korea |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
| Penalties | ||
| 2–4 | ||
Record
| AFC Asian Cup record | AFC Asian Cup qualification record
| |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | ||
 1956 |
Not an AFC member | Not an AFC member | ||||||||||||||
 1960
| ||||||||||||||||
 1964
| ||||||||||||||||
 1968
| ||||||||||||||||
| 1972
| ||||||||||||||||
| 1976 |
Withdrew | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 5 | |||||||||
| 1980
|
Withdrew | |||||||||||||||
 1984
|
Champions
|
1st | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | ||
| 1988
|
Champions
|
1st | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 1 | Automatic qualification as champions | |||||||
| 1992
|
Runners-up
|
2nd | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 3 | Automatic qualification as champions | |||||||
| 1996
|
Champions
|
1st | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | ||
| 2000
|
Runners-up
|
2nd | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 8 | Automatic qualification as champions | |||||||
| 2004 |
Group stage | 13th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 1 | ||
  2007
|
Runners-up
|
2nd | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 21 | 4 | ||
| 2011 |
Group stage | 15th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8 | Automatic qualification as runners-up | |||||||
 2015
|
10th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 3 | |||
| 2019 |
Round of 16 | 12th | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 28 | 4 | ||
| 2023 |
10th | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 22 | 4 | |||
| 2027 |
Qualified as host | To be determined | ||||||||||||||
| Total | 3 Titles | 12/19 | 52 | 23 | 15 | 14 | 74 | 50 | 48 | 39 | 6 | 3 | 152 | 21 | ||
See also
References
- ^ "2015 AFC Asian Cup: China 1-0 Saudi Arabia - CCTV News - CCTV.com English". english.cntv.cn. Archived from the original on 28 June 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
- ^ "Cup's open arms and open goals". www.heraldsun.com.au. January 14, 2015.