the Chinese team
When was the first appearance in the Asian Cup? The Asian Cup is the highest level of soccer in Asia, so let's review when China first appeared in the Asian Cup.
China's first appearance at the Asian Cup was in 1976. The teams that made it out of the 1976 Asian Cup were China, Kuwait, Iraq, and Iran. In the semifinals, China, which had been a member of the AFC for only two years, lost 0-2 to defending champions Iran, while Kuwait narrowly defeated Iraq 3-2. In the final, Iran beat Kuwait 1:0 to take away the Asian Cup for the third consecutive time. China triumphed in the third and fourth place finals to finish third.
