36 entrants: three qualify, and one will play off against the Oceania winner.
First Round
(each group to decide own system of play):
Group 1 — Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Taiwan
Group 2 — Iran, Syria, Maldive Islands, Kirghizistan
Group 3 — United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Jordan
Group 4 — Japan, Oman, Nepal, Macao
Group 5 — Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Yemen, Cambodia
Group 6 — South Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong
Group 7 — Kuwait, Lebanon, Singapore
Group 8 — China, Turkmenistan, Vietnam, Tajikistan
Group 9 — Iraq, Kazakhstan, Pakistan
Group 10 — Qatar, India, Sri Lanka, Philippines
For the second round, the 10 group winners will meet in two groups of five on neutral ground. The top two from each group advance to the semifinals. The semifinal winners qualify automatically for France ’98. The semifinal losers will have a playoff, with the winner advancing to France ’98, and the loser entering a two-leg playoff with the Oceania champion.