Note: The ten group winners advance to the final round of qualifying, later in 1997, from which three teams will automatically advance to the World Cup Finals, and the fourth-place team will meet the Oceania champion in a two-leg playoff for a berth at France ’98.
Group 1
In Malaysia:
March 16
Chinese Taipei vs. Saudi Arabia; Malaysia vs. Bangladesh
March 18
Bangladesh vs. Chinese Taipe; Malaysia vs. Saudi Arabia
March 20
Bangladesh vs. Saudi Arabia; Malaysia vs. Chinese Taipei
In Saudi Arabia:
March 27
Chinese Taipei vs. Malaysia; Saudi Arabia vs. Bangladesh
March 29
Chinese Taipei vs. Bangladesh; Saudi Arabia vs. Malaysia
March 29
Bangladesh vs. Malaysia; Saudi Arabia vs. Chinese Taipei
Group 2
In Syria:
June 2
Syria vs. Kyrgyzstan; Maldives vs. Iran
June 4
Syria vs. Maldives; Kyrgyzstan vs. Iran
June 6
Syria vs. Iran; Kyrgyzstan vs. Maldives
In Tehran, Iran:
June 9
Iran vs. Kyrgyzstan; Maldives vs. Syria
June 11
Iran vs. Maldives; Kyrgyzstan vs. Syria
June 15
Iran vs. Syria; Maldives vs. Kyrgyzstan
Group 3
In Bahrain :
April 8
Jordan vs. United Arab Emirates
April 11
Bahrain vs. United Arab Emirates
April 14
Bahrain vs. Jordan
In United Arab Emirates:
April 19
Jordan vs. Bahrain
April 22
United Arab Emirates vs. Bahrain
April 26
United Arab Emirates vs. Jordan
Group 4
In Bosher, Oman:
May 23
Nepal vs. Macao; Oman vs. Japan
May 25
Macao vs. Japan; Oman vs. Nepal
May 27
Nepal vs. Japan; Oman vs. Macao
In Tokyo, Japan:
June 22
Japan vs. Macao; Nepal vs. Oman
June 25
Japan vs. Nepal; Macao vs. Oman
June 28
Japan vs. Oman; Macao vs. Nepal
Group 5
April 6
Indonesia vs. Cambodia
April 13
Indonesia vs. Yemen
April 20
Cambodia vs. Yemen
April 27
Cambodia vs. Indonesia
May 9
Yemen vs. Uzbekistan
May 16
Yemen vs. Cambodia
May 25
Uzbekistan vs. Cambodia
June 1
Indonesia vs. Uzbekistan
June 13
Yemen vs. Indonesia
June 20
Uzbekistan vs. Indonesia
June 29
Cambodia vs. Uzbekistan
July 13
Uzbekistan vs. Yemen
Group 6
Feb. 23
Hong Kong vs. South Korea
March 2
Thailand vs. South Korea
March 9
Thailand vs. Hong Kong
March 16
Hong Kong vs. Thailand
May 28
South Korea vs. Hong Kong
June 1
South Korea vs. Thailand
Group 7
April 13
Lebanon vs. Singapore
April 26
Singapore vs. Kuwait
May 8
Kuwait vs. Lebanon
May 24
Singapore vs. Lebanon
June 5
Kuwait vs. Singapore
June 22
Lebanon vs. Kuwait
Group 8
May 4
China vs. Turkmenistan; Tajikistan vs. Vietnam
May 11
Vietnam vs. China; Turkmenistan vs. Tajikistan
May 18
Vietnam vs. Turkmenistan; Tajikistan vs. China
June 1
Vietnam vs. Tajikistan; Turkmenistan vs. China
June 8
China vs. Vietnam; Tajikistan vs. Turkmenistan
June 15
China vs. Tajikistan; Turkmenistan vs. Vietnam
Group 9
May 11
Kazakhstan vs. Pakistan
May 23
Pakistan vs. Iraq
June 6
Iraq vs. Kazakhstan
June 11
Pakistan vs. Kazakhstan
June 20
Iraq vs. Pakistan
June 29
Kazakhstan vs. Iraq
Group 10
Sept. 20 in Doha, Qatar
Qatar 3 Sri Lanka 0. Goals: Soufi 36, Al-Enazi 51, Mustafa 81. Half: 1-0. Att.: 1,500.
Sept. 21 in Doha
India 2 Philippines 0. Goals: Vijayan 81, Coutinho 86. Half: 0-0. Att.: n/a.
Sept. 23 in Doha
Qatar 5 Philippines 0. Goals: Al-Enazi 18, 41, Soufi 27, Khamis 30, Aziz Hassan 37. Att.: 4,000.
Sept. 24 in Doha
Sri Lanka 1 India 1. Goals: Silva 14; Chapman 39. Att.: 4,000.
Sept. 26 in Doha
Sri Lanka 3 Philippines 0. Goals: Stenwall 27, Perera 55, 81. Att.: 5,000.
Sept. 27 in Doha
Qatar 6 India 0. Goals: Al-Enazi 26, 39, Issa 41, Bakhit 46, Soufi 50, Mustafa 61. Att.: 2,500.
Final Standings
| TEAM | GP | W | T | L | GF | GA | P |
| Qatar | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 9 |
| Sri Lanka | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| India | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 4 |
| Philippines | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
o Qatar advances to the next round of qualifying.