The Kuwait national football team formed in 1952. 10 years later the team joined both FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation. In recent years Kuwait has been more known for international suspensions than the quality of it’s football.
Kuwait played its first recognised international fixture in 1961, a 2-2 draw with Libya. Slow starters, the team did not enter a major competition until the 1972 Asian Cup. After just three attempts, the team was crowned Asian Cup winners in 1980. The same team also made it to the quarter-finals of the 1980 Olympic Games, although this was achieved after winning only one of three matches.
Lately, Kuwait has suffered a series of suspensions from international football. In October 2007 the team was suspended due to government interference, although the ban lasted only two weeks. One year later the team was again suspended for failing to hold elections to the association. The ban was lifted before the end of the year.
