India,Sri Lanka and thePhilippines withdrew before the matches were played. The remaining 15 teams were divided into 2 zones, based on geographical and political considerations, as follows:
Zone A had 7 teams (teams from East Asia, plusIsrael). All matches were played in Korea Republic. There would be four stages of play:
Classification matches: All teams exceptKorea Republic would be paired up to play preliminary matches to determine group classification.
Group stage: Based on the results of the classification matches, the 7 teams were divided into 2 groups (Group A1 with 3 teams and Group A2 with 4 teams). The teams played against each other once. The group winners and runners-up would advance to the semifinals.
Semifinals: The winner of Group A1 played against the runner-up of Group A2 in a single match, and the winner of Group A2 played against the runner-up of Group A1 in a single match. The winners would advance to the Final.
Final: The 2 teams played against each other in a single match. The winner would advance to the Final Round.
Zone B had 8 teams (teams from West Asia and Oceania, plusIndonesia andKorea DPR). There would be two stages of play:
Group stage: The 8 teams were divided into 2 groups of 4 teams each. The teams played against each other twice (Group B1 in Australia and New Zealand and Group B2 in Iran). The group winners would advance to the final.
Final: The 2 teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The winner would advance to the Final Round.
In theFinal Round, the winners of Zone A and Zone B played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The winner would qualify.
Sabah Hatim
Moshe Onana
Thailand
83' (o.g.)
Malaysia
