| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 25 December 1978 – 14 May 1979 |
| Teams | 17 (from 1 confederation) |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 31 |
| Goals scored | 91 (2.94 per match) |
| AFC Asian Qualifiers |
|---|
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.