1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF)
Listed below are the dates and results for the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the African zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification.
A total of 38 CAF teams entered the competition. However, Mali and Niger both withdrew before the draw was made. The African Zone was allocated five places in the final tournament.
Summary
There would be two rounds of play:- First Round: Cameroon, Nigeria, Morocco and Egypt, the four highest-ranked teams according to FIFA, received byes and advanced to the Final Round directly. The remaining 32 teams were paired up to play knockout matches on a home-and-away basis. The winners would advance to the Final Round.
- Final Round: The 20 teams were divided into five groups of four teams each. The teams would play against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winners would qualify. These were:
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First round
First Leg
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Second Leg
Burkina Faso won 2–0 on aggregate----
Namibia won 3–1 on aggregate
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South Africa won 4–0 on aggregate
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Angola won 5–1 on aggregate
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Guinea won 5–4 on aggregate
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Liberia won 5–2 on aggregate
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Gabon won 3–0 on aggregate
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Burundi won 2–0 on aggregate but withdrew before the Final Round started, so their place was given to Sierra Leone.
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Zimbabwe won 4–3 on aggregate
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Congo won 3–1 on aggregate
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Zaire won 7–1 on aggregate
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Tunisia won 5–1 on aggregate
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Kenya won 3–2 on aggregate
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Togo won 3–2 on aggregate
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Zambia won 3–2 on aggregate
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Ghana won 2–1 on aggregate
Final round
Key:- Teams highlighted in green qualified for the finals.
Group [|1]
Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 13 | |
6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 12 | |
6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 12 | −1 | 10 | |
6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 17 | −10 | 0 |
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Group 2
Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 16 | |
6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 5 | 10 | 10 | |
6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 10 | −8 | 4 | |
6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 17 | −11 | 4 |
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Group 3
Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 13 | |
6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 10 | |
6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 8 | |
6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 9 | −5 | 2 |
In May 1997, Zaire were renamed the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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Group 4
Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 14 | |
6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 10 | |
6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 4 | |
6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 14 | −8 | 4 |
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Group 5
Gabon vs Sierra Leone was not played, since neither team could advance with a win.Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 2 | 12 | 16 | |
5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 7 | |
6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 6 | |
5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 11 | −10 | 1 |
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Match abandoned after 53 minutes due to crowd trouble. FIFA allowed the result to stand
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Match postponed due to Sierra Leone not being able to travel from Freetown due to conflict. The match was never rearranged due to the result having no effect on final group standings
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Qualified teams
The following five teams from CAF qualified for the final tournament.Team | Qualified as | Qualified on | Previous appearances in FIFA World Cup1 |
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3 | |||
3 |
Goalscorers
;5 goals;4 goals
- Patrick Mboma
- Hossam Hassan
- Titi Camara
- Momo Soumah
- Salaheddine Bassir
- Daniel Amokachi
- Phil Masinga
- Adel Sellimi
- Akwá
- Alphonse Tchami
- Macchambes Younga-Mouhani
- Ali Maher
- Fodé Camara
- Ahmed Bahja
- Khalid Raghib
- Zoubeir Baya
- Paulo Jorge da Silva
- Bernard Tchoutang
- Olivier Niere
- Hady Khashaba
- Mohammed Gargo
- Samuel Johnson
- Souleymane Oularé
- Cipriano Co
- Pereira Tavares
- Musa Otieno
- Kennedy Simiyu
- Maurice Sunguti
- James Debbah
- George Weah
- Mohammed Ouseb
- Eliphas Shivute
- Gervatius Uri Khob
- Emmanuel Amunike
- Shaun Bartlett
- Bachirou Salou
- Kossi Noutsoudje
- Djima Oyawolé
- Khaled Badra
- Elos Elonga-Ekakia
- Michel Ngonge
- Mbuleya Tondelva
- Frazer Kamwandi
- Dennis Lota
- Andrew Tembo
- Abdelhafid Tasfaout
- Sid Ahmed Zerrouki
- Fernando Manuel Sousa
- Joaquim Alberto Silva
- Kassoum Ouédraogo
- Firmin Sanou
- Ousmane Sanou
- Brahima Traore
- Jean-Marie Mbuyi
- Sutche Wambo
- Jean-Jacques Missé-Missé
- Christian Bongo
- Charles Imboula
- Sousa Miyamou
- Lassina Dao
- Hazem Emam
- Hesham Hanafy
- Ahmed Hassan
- Ibrahim Hassan
- Samir Kamouna
- Abdel Sattar Sabry
- Brice Mackaya
- Anicet Yala Ngoukou
- Théodore Nzue Nguema
- Jonas Ogandaga
- Abdul Aziz Corr
- Ebrima Ebou Sillah
- Felix Aboagye
- Augustine Ahinful
- Arthur Moses
- Abedi Pele
- Tibou Bangoura
- Vincent Kwarula
- Henry Motego
- Francis Were
- Robert Clarke
- Prince Daye
- Oliver Makor
- Jiana Raoelijaona
- Etienne Hajason Rasoanaivo
- Etienne Rado Ratoanaivo
- Antoine P. Anchelay Mocude
- Youssef Fertout
- El Arbi Hababi
- Mustapha Hadji
- Noureddine Naybet
- Armando Macamo
- Ewald Hoeseb
- Johannes Ortmann
- Simon Uutoni
- Mutiu Adepoju
- Jonathan Akpoborie
- Sunday Oliseh
- Wilson Oruma
- Leon Mupenzi
- Mamadou Diallo
- Omar Traoré
- Jamiru Amidu
- Lamin Conteh
- Mohamed Kallon
- Abu Kanu
- Mark Fish
- Doctor Khumalo
- Helman Mkhalele
- Eric Tinkler
- Mark Williams
- Khalid Ahmed Elmustafa
- Anas Elnour
- Mohamed Daima
- Kokouni Akpalo Gnavor
- Lantame Ouadja
- Tadjou Salou
- Mehdi Ben Slimane
- Hédi Berkhissa
- Taoufik Herichi
- Riadh Jelassi
- Jameleddine Limam
- Skander Souayah
- Robert Kizito
- Epotele Bazamba
- Emeka Mamale
- Nzelo Hervé Lembi
- Étienne N'tsunda
- Zico Tumba
- Johnson Bwalya
- Kenneth Malitoli
- Mwape Miti
- Vincent Mutale
- Kennedy Chihuri
- Edelbert Dinha
- Adam Ndlovu
- Agent Sawu
- Cloudious Zviripayi