Mexico 1986
MEXICO 1986
1986 is best remembered for Diego Maradona and his infamous Hand of God goal against England, but it also signalled an important step in the development of African football.
Morocco became the first African team to progress beyond the first hurdle of a World Cup when they impressively topped a Group F that included Poland, England and Portugal.
The Moroccans played out consecutive scoreless draws with Poland and England before they claimed a superb 3-1 over Portugal, with a brace from Abderrazak Khairi and a Merry Krimau strike putting the Africans 3 up before Diamantino claimed a late consolation for Portugal.
The win put Morocco up to 4 points, enough to top the group ahead of the English, who progressed ahead of the Polish on goal difference.
They met Germany in the next round and held their fancied opponents until virtually the last minute of regulation time when the incomparable Lothar Matthaus scored a breathtaking free kick to send the Moroccans crashing out of the World Cup.
Morocco could at least take some solace from the fact that the German team went on to play in the final, where they were defeated by a Maradona-inspired Argentine side.
Algeria also made their 2nd appearance at the World Cup finals, although they were to be disappointed, just as they were in 1982. They were drawn in a nightmare group with Brazil, Spain and Northern Ireland which they failed to emerge from.
A creditable draw against Northern Ireland in their opener gave some hope but they were narrowly beaten by Brazil in their next match with Careca scoring a goal midway through the 2nd half.
Their final match saw the Algerians on the receiving end of a 3-0 hiding at the hands of the Spanish, who joined Brazil in the next round of the tournament.
| Group D |
|
3 June 1986, Guadalajara |
| 6 June 1986, Guadalajara Brazil (0) 1 (Careca 67) Algeria (0) 0 Referee: Romulo Mendez Molina (Guatemala) Algeria: Nasreddine Drid, Fodil Megharia, Abdallah Medjadi, Faouzi Mansouri, Mahmoud Guendouz, Abdelhamid Ben Mabrouk, Mohamed Kaci Said, Lakhdar Belloumi (Djamel Zidane 79), Rabah Madjer, Djamel Menad, Salah Assad (Tadj Bensaoula 68). Coach: Rabah Saadane Coach: Rabah Saadane |
| 12 June 1986, Monterrey Algeria (0) 0 Spain (1) 3 (Caldere 17, 68, Eloy 71) Referee: Shizuo Takada (Japan) Cautions: Rabah Madjer 30; Andoni Goikoetxea 89 Algeria: Nasreddine Drid (Faouzi Harbi 20), Fodil Megharia, Mahmoud Guendouz, Faouzi Mansouri, Nourredine Kourichi, Mohamed Kaci Said, Lakhdar Belloumi, Rabah Madjer, Karim Maroc, Djamel Zidane (Djamel Menad 59), Rachid Harkouk Coach: Rabah Saadane |
| GROUP STANDINGS |
P |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
PTS |
 Brazil |
3 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
6 |
 Spain |
3 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
2 |
4 |
 Northern Ireland |
3 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
6 |
1 |
 Algeria |
3 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
1 |
| Group F |
|
2 June 1986, Monterrey |
| 6 June 1986, Monterrey England 0 Morocco 0 Referee: Gabriel Gonzalez (Paraguay) Cautions: Mark Hateley 67; Khalifa Labid 50, Abderrazak Khairi 76 Dismissal: Ray Wilkins 42 Morocco: Badou Ezaki, Khalifa Labid, Abdelmajid Lamriss (Lahcen Ouadani 72), Mustapha El Biyaz, Nourredine Bouyahiaoui, Abdelmajid Dolmy, Aziz Bouberbala, Mohamed Timoumi, Abderrazak Khairi, Merry Krimau, Mustapha Merry (Abdelaziz Souleymani 86) Coach: Jose Faria |
| 11 June 1986, Guadalajara Portugal (0) 1 (Diamantino 80) Morocco (2) 3 (Abderrazak Khairi 19, 27, Merry Krimau 63) Referee: Alan Snoddy (Northern Ireland) Caution: Fernando Gomes 58 Morocco: Badou Ezaki, Khalifa Labid, Abdelmajid Lamriss (Azzeddine Amanallah 69), Mustapha El Biyaz, Nourredine Bouyahiaoui, Abdelmajid Dolmy, Mustapha El Haddaoui (Abdelaziz Souleymani 76), Aziz Bouderbala, Merry Krimau, Mohamed Timoumi, Abderrazak Khairi Coach: Jose Faria |
| GROUP STANDINGS |
P |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
PTS |
 Morocco |
3 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
 England |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
3 |
 Poland |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
 Portugal |
3 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
| Second Round |
|
17 June 1986, Monterrey |
| Squads |
|
Algeria: |
| Morocco: Badou Ezaki (Wydad Casablanca), Khalifa Labid (KAC Kenitra), Abdelmajid Lamriss (Royal Armed Forces), Mustapha El Biyaz (Kawkab Marrakesh), Nourredine Bouyahiaoui (KAC Kenitra), Abdelmajid Dolmy (Raja Casablanca), Mustapha El Haddaoui (Lausanne Sports, SWITZERLAND), Aziz Bouberbala (FC Sion, SWITZERLAND), Merry Krimau (Le Havre, FRANCE), Mohamed Timoumi (Royal Armed Forces), Mustapha Merry (Valenciennes, FRANCE), Salaheddine Hmied (Royal Armed Forces), Abdelfatah Rhiati (Maghreb Fes), Lahcen Ouadani (Royal Armed Forces), Mohamed El Haddaoui (AS Sale), Azzeddine Amanallah (Bescanon, FRANCE), Abderrazak Khairi (Royal Armed Forces), Mohamed Sahil (Kawkab Marrakesh), Fadel Jilal (Wydad Casablanca), Abdallah Bidar (Olympique Khouribga), Abdelaziz Souleymani ((Maghreb Fes), Abdelfatah Mouddani (KAC Kenitra) |
