1996 AFC Asian Cup
Saudi Arabia defeated hosts United Arab Emirates in the final match in Abu Dhabi.As the runners-up, the United Arab Emirates represented the AFC in the 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup as the winners Saudi Arabia had qualified automatically as host.The qualifying teams were: Notes: The tournament began with host United Arab Emirates against South Korea in group A, where the Emiratis played in a 1–1 draw.Defending champions Japan however emerged as the only team to collect all three victories, while China recovered following the defeat to beat Syria.[1] Thanked for the win, Saudi Arabia gained automatic berth to qualify for the 2000 AFC Asian Cup held in Lebanon.