France 1998

FRANCE 1998

Unfortunately the 1998 World Cup Finals were no kinder to the 5 African teams, with only Nigeria – Africa’s foremost flag bearer for the second World Cup in a row – making it past the group stages.

Morocco just missed out on qualification for the second round from Group A, despite defeating Scotland 3-0 in their final match. It was Norway who denied them with a last gasp win over the group-topping but seemingly disinterested Brazilians.

Cameroon were a major disappointment, as their team finished bottom of Group B after a 1-1 draw with Austria, a 3-0 defeat to Italy, that saw Christian Vieri score twice in a bad-tempered game (Raymond Kalla was dismissed for the Africans), and a 1-all draw with Chile where Rigobert Song was sent off.

South Africa made their debut at the World Cup Finals but it was a disastrous start for the Rainbow Nation, as they crashed to a 3-0 defeat to hosts, and eventual champions, France in their opening Group C match. South Africa went on to finish 3rd in the group after draws with Denmark and Saudi Arabia. Tunisia finished bottom of Group F after defeats to England and Colombia before finishing with a 1-1 draw with Romania.

Nigeria got Group D off to a spectacular start when they sensationally defeated Spain 3-2 courtesy of goals from Mutiu Adepoju, Garba Lawal and a brilliant winner from Sunday Oliseh.

They booked their place in the next round with a 1-0 win over Bulgaria before crumbling to a 3-1 defeat against Paraguay that condemned Spain to a first round exit.

Topping the group set the Super Eagles up for a second round clash with Denmark where some abysmal keeping on behalf of Peter Rufai allowed Denmark to easily see off the African’s challenge by 4 goals to 1.

 Group A

10 June 1998, Montpellier
Morocco (1) 2 (Mustapha Hadji 38’, Abdeljilil Hadda 59’)
Norway (1) 2 (Youssef Chippo 44’ own goal, Dan Eggen 60’)

Referee: Pirom Un-Prasert (Thailand)

Caution: Said Chiba 79’

Morocco: Driss Benzerki, Abdelilah Saber, Abdelkrim El Hadrioui, Youssef Rossi, Noureddine Naybet, Mustapha Hadji, Said Chiba, Youssef Chippo (Gharib Amzine 78’), Taher El Khalej (Rachid Azzouzi 89’), Abdeljilil Hadda (Ali El Khattabi 87’), Salaheddine Bassir

Coach: Henri Michel

16 June 1998, Nantes
Brazil (2) 3 (Ronaldo 9’, Rivaldo 44’, Bebeto 50’)
Morocco (0) 0

Referee: Nikolai Levnikov (Russia)

Cautions: Cesar Sampaio 36’, Junior Baiano 87’; Abdeljilil Hadda 32’, Said Chiba 64’

Morocco: Driss Benzerki, Abdelilah Saber (Lahcen Abrami 76’), Youssef Rossi, Abdelkrim El Hadrioui, Noureddine Naybet, Mustapha Hadji, Said Chiba (Gharib Amzine 76’), Youssef Chippo, Tahar El Khalej, Abdeljilil Hadda (Ali El Khattabi 89’), Salaheddine Bassir

Coach: Henri Michel
23 June 1998, St Etienne
Morocco (1) 3 (Salaheddine Bassir 22’, 85’, Abdeljilil Hadda 46’)
Scotland (0) 0

Referee: Ali Mohamed Bujsaim (United Arab Emirates)

Cautions: Kevin Gallacher 21’; Youssef Chippo 81’

Dismissal: George Burley 53’

Morocco: Driss Benzerki, Abdelilah Saber (Youssef Rossi 72’), Noureddine Naybet, Lahcen Abrami, Smahi Triki, Mustapha Hadji, Gharib Amzine (Rachid Azzouzi 76’), Youssef Chippo (Jamal Sellami 87’), Tahar El Khalej, Abdeljilil Hadda, Salaheddine Bassir

Coach: Henri Michel

 GROUP STANDINGS

P

W

D

L

GF

GA

PTS

 Brazil

3

2

0

1

6

3

6

 Norway

3

1

2

0

5

4

5

 Morocc

3

1

1

1

5

5

4

 Scotland

3

0

1

2

2

6

1

 Group B

11 June 1998, Toulouse
Austria (0) 1 (Toni Polster 89’)
Cameroon (0) 1 (Pierre Njanka 78’)

Referee: Gonzalez Chaves (Paraguay)

Cautions: Anton Pfeffer 28’; Samuel Ipoua 31’

Cameroon: Jacques Songo’o, Pierre Wome, Rigobert Song, Raymond Kalla, Joseph Ndo, Francois Omam Biyik, (Alphonse Tchami 85’), Didier Angibeaud, Patrick Mboma, Augustine Simo (Salomon Olembe 66’), Samuel Ipoua (Joseph-Desire Job 65’)

Coach: Claude Le Roy

17 June 1998, Montpellier
Cameroon (0) 0
Italy (1) 3 (Luigi Di Biagio 7’, Christian Vieri 75’, 89’)

Referee: Edward Lennie (Australia)

Cautions: Pierre Wome 7’, Pierre Njanka 17’, Didier Angibeaud 79’, Rigobert Song 85’; Alessandro Costacurta 26’, Luigi Di Biagio 63’

Dismissal: Raymond Kalla 43’

Cameroon: Jacques Songo’o, Pierre Wome, Rigobert Song, Raymond Kalla, Pierre Njanka, Salomon Olembe, Joseph Ndo, Francois Omam Biyick (Alphonse Tchami 66’), Patrick Mboma (Samuel Eto’o 66’), Samuel Ipoua (Joseph-Desire Job 46’), Didier Angibeaud

Coach: Claude Le Roy 
23 June 1998, Nantes
Cameroon (0) 1 (Patrick Mboma 55’)
Chile (1) 1 (Jose Sierra 20’)

Referee: Laszlo Vagner (Hungary)

Cautions: Nelson Parraguez 50’, Francisco Rojas 55’, Moises Villarroel 66’, Miguel Ramirez 89’

Dismissals: Rigobert Song 51’, Lavriano Etame 88’

Cameroon: Jacques Songo’o, Pierre Wome, Rigobert Song, Pierre Njanka, Michel Pensee Billong, Salomon Olembe (Didier Angibeaud 67’), Joseph Ndo (Laurent Etame Mayer 81’), Marcel Mahouve, Francois Omam Biyick, Patrick Mboma, Joseph-Desire Job (Alphonse Tchami 72’)

Coach: Claude Le Roy

 GROUP STANDINGS

P

W

D

L

GF

GA

PTS

 Italy

3

2

1

0

7

3

7

 Chile

3

0

3

0

4

4

3

 Austria

3

0

2

1

3

4

2

 Cameroon

3

0

2

1

2

5

2

 Group C

12 June 1998, Marseille
France (1) 3 (Christophe Dugarry 34’, Pierre Issa 77’ [own goal], Thierry Henry 89’)
South Africa (0) 0

Referee: Rezende de Freitas (Brazil)

Cautions: Emmanuel Petit 27’, Didier Deschamps 52’, Zinedine Zidane 74’; Willem Jackson 36’

South Africa: Hans Vonk, Mark Fish, Pierre Issa, Willem Jackson, David Nyathi, Lucas Radebe, John Moshoeu, Quinton Fortune, Brendan Augustine (Helman Mkhalele 56’), Phil Masinga, Benedict McCarthy (Shaun Bartlett 89’)

Coach: Philippe Troussier 

18 June 1998, Toulouse
Denmark (1) 1 (Allan Nielsen 13’)
South Africa (0) 1 (Benedict McCarthy 52’)

Referee: Jon Jairo Roro Rendon (Colombia)

Cautions: Michael Schjonberg 23’, Jes Hogh 55’, Peter Schmeichel 57’; David Nyathi 38’, Pierre Issa 63’, Lucas Radebe 73’

Dismissals: Miklos Molnar 67’, Morten Wieghorst 85’; Alfred Phiri 69’

South Africa: Hans Vonk, Mark Fish, Pierre Issa, David Nyathi (Delron Buckley 89’), Lucas Radebe, Quinton Fortune, Helman Mkhalele, John Moshoeu, Brendan Augustine (Alfred Phiri 46’), Shaun Bartlett (Phil Masinga 78’), Benedict McCarthy

Coach: Philippe Troussier 
24 June 1998, Bordeaux
Saudi Arabia (1) 2 (Sami Al jaber 44’ pen, Youssef Al Tunian 74’ pen) South Africa (1) 2 (Shaun Bartlett 19’, 89’ pen)

Referee: Mario Sanchez Yanten (Chile)

Cautions: Khamis Dossari 30’; Quinton Fortune 38’, Lucas Radebe 65’

South Africa: Hans Vonk, Mark Fish, Pierre Issa, Willem Jackson (Delron Buckley 46’), David Nyathi, Lucas Radebe, Quinton Fortune (Doctor Khumalo 67’), Helman Mkhalele, John Moshoeu, Shaun Bartlett, Benedict McCarthy (Jerry Sikhosana 46’)

Coach: Philippe Troussier 

 GROUP STANDINGS

P

W

D

L

GF

GA

PTS 

 France

3

3

0

0

9

1

9

 Denmark

3

1

1

1

3

3

4

 South Africa

3

0

2

1

3

6

2

 Saudi Arabia

3

0

1

2

2

7

1

 Group D

13 June 1998, Nantes
Nigeria (1) 3 (Mutiu Adepoju 25’, Garba Lawal 73’, Sunday Oliseh 78’)
Spain (1) 2 (Fernando Hierro 21’, Raul 47’)

Referee: Esfandiar Baharmast (USA)

Cautions: Uche Okechukwu 62’; Guillermo Amor 55’, Miguel Nadal 59’, Ivan Campo 75’

Nigeria: Peter Rufai, Mobi Oparaku (Rashidi Yekini 69’), Taribo West, Uche Okechukwu, Celestine Babayaro, Victor Ikpeba (Tijani Babangida 83’), Sunday Oliseh, Garba Lawal (Godwin Okpara 89’), Austin Okocha, Mutiu Adepoju, Finidi George

Coach: Bora Milutinovic  

19 June 1998, Paris
Bulgaria (0) 0
Nigeria (1) 1 (Victor Ikpeba 26’)

Referee: Mario Sanchez Yanten (Chile)

Cautions: Ilian Iliev 64’, Radostin Kischischev 78’; Mutiu Adepoju 20’, Uche Okechukwu 43’, Victor Ikpeba 48’, Austin Okocha 71’

Nigeria: Peter Rufai, Celestine Babayaro, Uche Okechukwu, Taribo West, Finidi George (Tijani Babangida 85’), Mutiu Adepoju, Austin Okocha, Garba Lawal, Sunday Oliseh, Victor Ikpeba (Rachidi Yekini 75’), Daniel Amokachi (Nwankwo Kanu 66’)

Coach: Bora Milutinovic 
24 June 1998, Toulouse
Nigeria (1) 1 (Wilson Oruma 11’)
Paraguay (1) 3 (Celso Ayala 1’, Miguel Benitez 59’, Jose Cardozo 86’)

Referee: Pirom Un-Prasert (Thailand)

Cautions: Austin Eguavoen 26’, Ben Iroha 39’ Nigeria: Peter Rufai, Austin Eguavoen, Ben Iroha, Uche Okafor, Taribo West, Tijani Babangida, Nwankwo Kanu, Garba Lawal, Sunday Oliseh (Godwin Okpara 46’), Wilson Oruma (Finidi George 69’), Rashidi Yekini

Coach: Bora Milutinovic

 GROUP STANDINGS

P

W

D

L

GF

GA

PTS 

 Nigeria

3

2

0

1

5

5

6

 Paraguay

3

1

2

0

3

1

5

 Spain

3

1

1

1

8

4

4

 Bulgaria

3

0

1

2

1

7

1

 Group F

15 June 1998, Marseille
England (1) 2 (Alan Shearer 43’, Paul Scholes 89’)
Tunisia (0) 0

Referee: Masayoshi Okada (Japan)

Cautions: Sol Campbell 88’; Clayton 48’, Imed Ben Younes 70’, Kaies Ghodhbane 87’

Tunisia: Chokri El Ouaer, Clayton, Khaled Badra, Sami Trabelsi, Mounir Boukadida, Hatem Trabelsi (Tarek Thabet 79’), Kaies Ghodhbane, Sirajeddine Chihi, Skander Souayah (Zoubier Baya 46’), Adel Sellimi, Mehdi Ben Slimane (Imed Ben Younes 65’)

Coach: Henryk Kasperczak   

22 June 1998, Montpellier
Colombia (0) 1 (Leider Precaido 83’)
Tunisia (0) 0

Referee: Bernd Heynemann (Germany)

Cautions: Jose Santa 18’; Riadh Bouazizi 16’, Clayton 86’

Tunisia: Chokri El Ouaer, Tarek Thabet (Kaies Ghodhbane 76’), Ferid Chouchane, Clayton, Sami Trabelsi, Riadh Bouazizi, Sirajeddine Chihi, Skander Souayah, Zoubier Baya (Faycal Ben Ahmed 74’), Adel Sellimi (Imed Ben Younes 69’), Mehdi Ben Slimane

Coach: Henryk Kasperczak  
26 June 1998, Paris
Romania (0) 1 (Viorel Moldovan 72’)
Tunisia (1) 1 (Skander Souayah 10’ pen)

Referee: Edward Lennie (Australia)

Cautions: Zoubier Baya 28’; Skander Souayah 57’

Tunisia: Chokri El Ouaer, Sami Trabelsi, Mounir Boukadida, Ferid Chouchane, Zoubier Baya, Kaies Ghodhbane (Tarek Thabet 83’), Riadh Bouazizi, Sirajeddine Chihi, Skander Souayah (Imed Ben Younes 89’), Adel Sellimi, Mehdi Ben Slimane (RiadhJelassi 55’)

Coach: Ali Selmi

 GROUP STANDINGS

P

W

D

L

GF

GA

PTS 

 Romania

3

2

1

0

4

2

7

 England

3

2

0

1

5

2

6

 Colombia

3

1

0

2

1

3

3

 Tunisia

3

0

1

2

1

4

1

 Second Round

28 June 1998, Paris
Denmark (2) 4 (Peter Moller 3’, Brian Laudrup 12’, Ebbe Sand 60’, Thomas Helveg 76’)
Nigeria (0) 1 (Tijani Babangida 78’)

Referee: Urs Meier (Switzerland)

Cautions: Marc Rieper 24’; Austin Okocha 49’

Nigeria: Peter Rufai, Celestine Babayaro, Uche Okechukwu, Taribo West, Sunday Oliseh, Nwankwo Kanu (Rachidi Yekini 65’), Finidi George, Mutiu Adepoju, Austin Okocha, Garba Lawal (Tijani Babangida 73’), Victor Ikpeba

Coach: Bora Milutinovic    

 Squads

Cameroon:
Jacques Songo’o (Deportivo La Coruna, SPAIN), Joseph Elanga (Canon Yaounde), Pierre Wome (Lucchese, ITALY), Rigobert Song (Metz, FRANCE), Raymond Kalla (Panahaiki, GREECE), Pierre Njanka (Racing Bafoussam), Francois Omam Biyik (Sampdoria, ITALY), Didier Angibeaud (Nice, FRANCE), Alphonse Tchami (Hertha Berlin, GERMANY), Patrick Mboma (Gamba Osaka, JAPAN), Samuel Eto’o (Leganes, SPAIN), Laurent Etame Mayer (Levante, SPAIN), Patrice Abanda (Espoir Yaounde), Augustine Simo (Racing Bafoussam), Joseph Ndo (Coton Sport), William Andem (Bahia, BRAZIL), Michel Pensee Billong (Ilhwa Chonma, SOUTH KOREA), Samuel Ipoua (Rapid Vienna, AUSTRIA), Marcel Mahouve (Montpellier, FRANCE), Salomon Olembe (Nantes, FRANCE), Joseph-Desire Job (Lyon, FRANCE), Alioum Boukar (Vanspor, TURKEY)    

Morocco:
Abdelkader El Brazi (Royal Armed Forces), Abdelilah Saber (Sporting Lisbon, PORTUGAL), Abdelkrim El Hadrioui (Benfica, PORTUGAL), Youssef Rossi (Rennes, FRANCE), Smahi Triki (Lausanne Sports, SWITZERLAND), Noureddine Naybet, Mustapha Hadji (both (Deportivo La Coruna, SPAIN), Said Chiba (Compostela, SPAIN), Abdeljilil Hadda (Club Africain, TUNISIA), Abderrahim Ouakili (1860 Munich, GERMANY), Ali El Khattabi (SC Heerenveen, NETHERLANDS), Driss Benzerki (Renaissance Settat), Rachid Neqrouz (Bari, ITALY), Salaheddine Bassir (Deportivo La Coruna, SPAIN), Lahcen Abrami (Wydad Casablanca), Rachid Azzouzi (Greuther Furth, GERMANY), Gharib Amzine (Mulhouse, FRANCE), Youssef Chippo (FC Porto, PORTUGAL), Jamal Sellami (Raja Casablanca), Taher El Khalej (Benfica, PORTUGAL), Rachid Rokki (Chabab Mohammedia), Mustapha Chadli (Raja Casablanca)

Nigeria:
Peter Rufai (Deportivo La Coruna, SPAIN), Mobi Oparaku (Kapellen, BELGIUM), Celestine Babayaro (Chelsea, ENGLAND), Nwankwo Kanu (Inter Milan, ITALY), Uche Okechukwu (Fenerbahce, TURKEY), Taribo West (Inter Milan, ITALY), Finidi George (Real Betis, SPAIN), Mutiu Adepoju (Real Sociedad, SPAIN), Rashidi Yekini (FC Zurich, SWITZERLAND), Austin Okocha (Fenerbahce, TURKEY), Garba Lawal (Roda JC Kerkrade, NETHERLANDS), Williams Okpara (Orlando Pirates, SOUTH AFRICA), Tijani Babangida (Ajax Amsterdam, NETHERLANDS), Daniel Amokachi (Besiktas, TURKEY), Sunday Oliseh (Ajax Amsterdam, NETHERLANDS), Uche Okafor (Kansa City Wizards, USA), Austin Eguavoen (Torpedo Moscow, USSR), Wilson Oruma (Lens, FRANCE), Ben Iroha (Elche, SPAIN), Victor Ikpeba (Monaco, FRANCE), Godwin Okpara (Strasbourg, FRANCE), Abiodun Baruwa (FC Sion, Switzerland)

South Africa:
Hans Vonk (SC Heerenveen, NETHERLANDS), Themba Mnguni (Mamelodi Sundowns, SOUTH AFRICA), David Nyathi (St Gallen, SWITZERLAND), Willem Jackson (Orlando Pirates), Mark Fish (Bolton Wanderers, ENGLAND), Phil Masinga (Bari, ITALY), Quinton Fortune (Atletico Madrid, SPAIN), Alfred Phiri (Vanspor, TURKEY), Shaun Bartlett (Cape Town Spurs), John Moshoeu (Kocaelispor, TURKEY), Helman Mkhalele (Kayerispor, TURKEY), Brendan Augustine (Linzer ASK, AUSTRIA), Delron Buckley (Vfl Bochum, GERMANY), Jerry Sikhosana (Orlando Pirates), Doctor Khumalo (Kaizer Chiefs), Benedict McCarthy (Ajax Amsterdam, NETHERLANDS), Lebogang Morula (Vanspor, TURKEY), Pierre Issa (Olympique Marseille, FRANCE), Lucas Radebe (Leeds United, ENGLAND), Naughty Mokoena (Manning Rangers), Brian Baloyi (Kaizer Chiefs), Simon Gopane (Bloemfontein Celtic)
Tunisia:
Chokri El Ouaer (Esperance), Imed Ben Younes (Etoile Sahel), Sami Trabelsi (CS Sfaxien), Mounir Boukadida (Etoile Sahel), Hatem Trabelsi (CS Sfaxien), Ferid Chouchane (Etoile Sahel), Tarek Thabet (Esperance), Zoubier Baya (SC Freiburg, GERMANY), RiadhJelassi, Kaies Ghodhbane (both Etoile Sahel), Adel Sellimi (Real Jaen, SPAIN), Mourad Melki (Olympique Beja), Riadh Bouazizi (Etoile Sahel), Sirajeddine Chihi (Esperance), Skander Souayah (CS Sfaxien), Radhouane Salhi, Clayton (both Etoile Sahel), Mehdi Ben Slimane (SC Freiburg, GERMANY), Faycal Ben Ahmed (Esperance), Sabri Jaballah (CS Sfaxien), Khaled Badra (Esperance), Ali Boumnijel (Bastia, FRANCE)

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