See main article: 1980 AFC Asian Cup.
| Tourney Name: | 1980 AFC Asian Cup qualification |
| Dates: | 25 December 1978 – 14 May 1979 |
| Num Teams: | 17 |
| Confederations: | 1 |
| Matches: | 31 |
| Goals: | 91 |
| Prevseason: | 1976 |
| Nextseason: | 1984 |
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 and defending champions Iran.
| width=25% | Group 1 | width=25% | Group 2 | width=25% | Group 3 | width=25% | Group 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| valign=top | valign=top | valign=top | valign=top |
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and qualified for the final tournament
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| Team | Qualified as | Qualified on | Previous appearance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 June 1976 | ||||
| 22 November 1979 | 0 (debut) | |||
| 23 November 1979 | 0 (debut) | |||
| 15 January 1979 | 0 (debut) | |||
| 16 January 1979 | 0 (debut) | |||
| 12 May 1979 | 0 (debut) | |||
| 11 May 1979 | ||||
| 29 December 1978 | ||||
| 29 December 1978 |
In the 17 November match between Syria and Bahrain, the referee awarded a penalty to Bahrain. The Syrian head coach entered the pitch, threatening the referee, who stopped the match in the 81st minute. The committee initially awarded the match 3–0 in favour of Bahrain, but Syria threatened to withdraw; the committee adjusted its decision to a replay of the match on 25 November, but then Bahrain withdrew. All matches involving Bahrain were annulled.[2]