This 1980 AFC Asian Cup qualification phase started in December 1978 while other qualification matches took place in early 1979. A total of 18 teams participated. Eight teams from the top two of each group advance to the final tournament, joining hosts Kuwait

Kuwait

The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...

 and defending champions .

Qualification

The following either did not enter or withdrew:

Group 1

• All matches played in the United Arab Emirates
  United Arab Emirates
  The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
  
  .
• Bahrain withdrew after abandoning their first match against Syria at 1–0. Their following matches were awarded to the opposing team at 2–0

  2

  2

  1

  Team
  	3	2	1	0	2	0
  5
  	3	1	2	0	2	0
  4
  	3	1	1	1	2	1
  3
  	3	0	0	3	0	5
  0

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Group 2

• All matches played in Bangladesh
  Bangladesh
  Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
  
  .

  8

  Team
  	4	3	1	0	10	2
  7
  	4	1	2	1	7	8
  4
  	4	0	1	3	4	11	–7	1

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Group 3

• All matches played in Thailand
  Thailand
  Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
  
  .

Allocation matches to determine groups

• Singapore received a bye

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Group 3A

3

2

Team
	2	1	1	0	5	2
3
	2	1	1	0	4	2
3
	2	0	0	2	2	7	–5	0

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Group 3B

10

6

Team
	3	3	0	0	10	0
6
	3	2	0	1	8	2
4
	3	1	0	2	4	9	–5	2
	3	0	0	3	1	11	–10	0

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Semi-finals

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Third place play-off
Final
Korea DPR and Malaysia qualified for the final tournament

Group 4

• All matches played in the Philippines
  Philippines
  The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
  
  .

  9

  3

  Team
  	3	3	0	0	10	1
  6
  	3	2	0	1	5	2
  4
  	3	1	0	2	4	7
  2
  	3	0	0	3	1	10	–9	0

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