Soccer, Football in Africa: AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS 1998 - Team Infos
a part of of  THE AFRICAN SOCCER SERVER international
 
This is the English original template      .  Francais Espanola Portuguise Deutsch Italiana      . a better English version with a link to a NEWS TICKER

 
Group 1 
Burkina Faso 
Cameroon 
Algeria 
Guinea		 Group 2 
Ghana 
Tunisia 
Togo 
Congo DR		 Group 3 
South Africa 
Angola 
Côte d'Ivoire 
Namibia		 Group 4 
Zambia 
Morocco 
Egypt 
Mozambique
 



 
Group 1
Burkina 
Faso
Best result in African Cup Of Nations so far: Reached Final Tournament only twice, as one of eight teams in 1978 (at Ghana, 3 losses) and as one of 16 teams in 1996 (at South Africa, 3 losses). Chosen as hosts for the 1998 finals (16 teams). 
World Cup: never close to qualification
Country Specific Informations (in English)
Short Description Of the Situation before the African Cup Of Nations 1998 
Some skillful players, but yet an unbalanced and unorganised team. They qualified for last African Cup Of Nations where  they looked terrible helpless in defence especially against organised or experienced teams like Algeria or Zambia. Zambia was able to outscore them easily 5:1. In the same matches, anyway, they were able to create a few moments of sheer excitement with their unconventional attacking game. In World Cup they had no chance in group1, finsihing without a single point. The results against Kenya (3-4 away and 2-4 at home) are perfect example for their game. Their new rising star is only 17 years old: With 15 goals scored Mamadou Zongo was this years top goal scorer in Cote d'Ivoire's First League, playing for the undefeated champions ASEC, one of Africas most famous clubs of this decade. A few months before the tournament, in September, Burkina Faso pulled off a coup by hiring Phillip Troussier, whose contract as national coach of Nigeria had not been renewed. Now it is said that Troussier becomes South Africas coach for the World Cup at France. He will coach the Burkinabé during the Nations Cup finals anyway before he'll leave. They are hoping to make a good impression. 
African Cup Of Nations 1998 Qualification campaign (no qual., automatically qualified as hosts) 
World Cup 1998: won preliminary knock-out round vs. Mauretania, then group 1: could not qualify for finals
 
 
Cameroon
 
Best results in African Cup Of Nations so far: Winners 1984, 1988; Runners up 1986; Recently: out 1st round 1996 
Best results in World Cup so far: qualified for finals 1982 (24 participiants, 2 from Africa, out first round by goal difference, undefeated, 3 ties), 1990 (24 participiants, 2 from Africa, reached quarter finals, best appearance of an African team yet, 3 wins, 1 meaningless loss, before being beaten in extra-time by England), 1994 (24 participiants, 3 from Africa, out first round, 1 tie, 2 losses), 1998 (32 participiants, 5 from Africa)
Country Specific Informations (in English) 
African Cup Of Nations 1998 Qualification campaign
World Cup 1998: Group B (Italy, Chile, Austria)
 
 
Algeria
 
Best results in African Cup Of Nations so far: Winners 1990 (at home); Runners up 1980; Recently: quarter-finals 1996 
Best results in World Cup so far: qualified 1982 (24 participiants, 2 from Africa, out first round on goal difference, 2 wins, 1 loss), 1986 (24 participiants, 2 from Africa, out first round, 1 tie, 2 losses); quite close to qualification 1990
Country Specific Informations (in English) 
African Cup Of Nations 1998 Finals Team Roaster 
African Cup Of Nations 1998 Qualification campaign
World Cup 1998: out in preliminary knock-out round vs. Kenya
 
 
Guinea
 
Best results in African Cup Of Nations so far: Runners Up 1976; Recently: not qual. 1996 
Best results in World Cup so far: quite close to qualification 1998
Country Specific Informations (in English) 
African Cup Of Nations 1998 Qualification campaign
World Cup 1998: not qualified, runners-up to Nigeria in group1
 
 
 
 
Group 2 
Ghana
 
Best results in African Cup Of Nations so far: Winners 1963 (at home), 1965, 1978 (at home), 1982; Runners up: 1968, 1970, 1992;  Recently:  4th place 1996 
Best results in World Cup so far: sorry, never close to qualification, had maybe their best chance 1966, when Africa boycottet for not getting at laest one guaranteed place at finals
Country Specific Informations (in English) 
African Cup Of Nations 1998 Qualification campaign
World Cup 1998: not qualified (finished 3rd in Group5 with Morocco)
 
 
Tunisia
 
Best results in African Cup Of Nations so far:  runners-up 1965 (at home), 1996 
Best results in World Cup until so far: qualified for finals 1978 (16 participiants, 1 from Africa, out first round, 1 win, 1 tie, 1 loss), 1998 (32 participiants, 5 from Africa); 2 more times quite close to qualification
Country Specific Informations (in English) 
African Cup Of Nations 1998 Qualification campaign
World Cup 1998: Group G (Romania, England, Columbia)
 
 
Togo
 
Best results in African Cup Of Nations so far: qualified 1972 (8 participiants, 2 ties, 1 loss, out 1st round), 1984 (8 participiants, 1 tie, 2 losses, out 1st round); Recently: not qual. 1996 
Best results in World Cup so far: never close to qualification
Country Specific Informations (in English) 
African Cup Of Nations 1998 Qualification campaign
World Cup 1998: not qualified (finished 4th in group with Cameroon)
 
 
Congo DR
 
Best results in African Cup Of Nations so far: Winners 1968, 1974; Recently: quarter finals 1996 
Best results in World Cup so far: qualified for finals 1974 (16 participiants, 1 from Africa, out first round, 3 losses, no goal, better than the terrible results, subject to racism)
Country Specific Informations (in English) 
African Cup Of Nations 1998 Qualification campaign
World Cup 1998: not qualified (finished 4th in group with South Africa)
 
 
 
 
Group 3
South Africa
 
Best results in African Cup Of Nations so far: Winners 1996 (at home) 
Best results in World Cup so far: qualified for finals at France 1998 (32 participiants, 5 from Africa) 
Did not take part before the nineties because of Apartheid
Country Specific Informations (in English) 
African Cup Of Nations 1998 Qualification campaign
World Cup 1998: Group C (France, Sauid-Arabia, Denmark)
 
 
Angola
 
Best results in African Cup Of Nations so far: qualified for finals 1996 (16 teams, out 1st round in heavy group 1, left a very good impression, 1 tie, 2 losses, 4 goals) 
Best results in World Cup so far: quite close to qualification 1998
Country Specific Informations (in English) 
African Cup Of Nations 1998 Qualification campaign
World Cup 1998: not qualified, runners-up to Cameroon, went out unbeaten!
 
 
Cote d'Ivoire
 
Best results in African Cup Of Nations so far: Winners 1992; Recently: finished 3rd in 1994, out first round 1996 
Best results in World Cup so far: close to qualification in 1994
Country Specific Informations (in English) 
African Cup Of Nations 1998 Qualification campaign
World Cup 1998: out in preliminary knock-out round vs. Congo
 
 
Namibia
 
Did not take part before the nineties because controlled by South Africa and so involved in Apartheid 
Best result yet: runners up in 1997 Castle Cup, a regional competition won by Zambia, with the participation of Mozambique, Tanzania and Malawi (who almost qualified for this Nations Cup finals)
Country Specific Informations (in English) 
Short Description Of the Situation before the African Cup Of Nations 1998 
Namibias rise is hard to believe. Only taking part at African international competitions since 1990, Namibia was able to manage penetration among Africas top 16 now. In South Africas case such an effort does not appear to be a miracle, but Namibia is a small country from the number of inhabitants side regarded. Not half the city of Berlin, not to speak of London or Paris. With only 1.5 Million inhabitants Namibia achieved to launch its football team to the finals of only the second African Cup of Nations they took part. They made it among the 20 African teams that battled in the final qualification groups for a World Cup spot at France 98 and they topped everything they had reached on Friday, 23rd of January 98, only 2 weeks before the Nations Cup kick-off, when they knocked giants South Africa in a sensational 3-2 after-extra-time-victory out of the Cosafa Castle Cup. The Cosafa Castle Cup is a new but very popular regional competition for the Southern African football associations, among them blockbusters Zambia, Angola, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. Namibia had been runners up to winners Zambia last year, but South Africa had not taken part in that first edition. Namibias example shows how succesful a determined and well-organized association can be. One should not expect too much of them, the team is developing and a small power anyway. But the teams is on a solid way up. Beginning the world cup qualification with a 1:7 loss at Egypt, the were able to pull of 4 points out of the 2 encounters with Liberia. And they are really excited now. 
African Cup Of Nations 1998 Qualification campaign
World Cup 1998: not qualified (finished 4th in group with Tunisia)
 
 

 
Group 4 
Zambia
 
Best results in African Cup Of Nations so far: runners-up 1972, 1994; recently:  3rd 1996 
Best results in World Cup so far: quite close to qualification 1974, close to qualification 1994
Country Specific Informations (in English) 
African Cup Of Nations 1998 Finals Team Roaster 
African Cup Of Nations 1998 Qualification campaign
World Cup 1998: not qualified (finished 3rd in group with South Africa)
 
 
Morocco
 
Best results in African Cup Of Nations so far: Winners 1976; Recently: not qualified 1994, 1996 
Best results in World Cup so far: qualified 1970 (16 participiants, 1 from Africa, out 1st round, 1 tie, 2 losses), 1986 (24 participiants, 2 from Africa, won 1st round group against England, Poland, Portugal, lost to Germany 0-1 in last 16 knock-out round), 1994 (24 participiants, 3 from Africa, out first round, 3 losses, but did not too bad), 1998 (32 participiants, 5 from Africa); several times quite close to qualification
Country Specific Informations (in English) 
African Cup Of Nations 1998 Qualification campaign
World Cup 1998: Group A (Brazil, Scotland, Norway)
 
 
Egypt
 
Best results in African Cup Of Nations so far: Winners 1957, 1959 (at home), 1986 (at home), Runnes up 1962; Recently: quarter finals 1996 (only team to beat South Africa in the tournament) 
Best results in World Cup so far: as one of the few non-colony-status nations able to take part at international soccer before 1960; before World Cup existed, successful at Olympics (best result 4th place 1928); Qualified for World Cup finals 1934 (16 participiants, lost 1st round knock out vs. Hungary 2-4), 1990 (24 participiants, 2 from Africa, out first round, 2 ties, 1 loss); close to qualification 1978
Country Specific Informations (in English) 
African Cup Of Nations 1998 Qualification campaign
World Cup 1998: not qualified (finished 2nd in group with Tunisia)
 
 
Mozambique
 
Best results in African Cup Of Nations so far: qualified for finals 1986 (8 participiants, 3 losses, no goal, out 1st round), 1996 (16 participiants, 1 tie, 2 losses, 1 goal and a good impression) 
Best results in World Cup so far: never close to qualification
Country Specific Informations (in English) 
African Cup Of Nations 1998 Qualification campaign
World Cup 1998: 
 
 
 
 

 

The seeding:

 
  South Africa 
Burkina Faso 
Zambia 
Ghana		 Pool A: defending champions, host and best teams in recent nations cup history
  Cameroon 
Morocco 
Tunisia		 Pool B: the remaining 3 world cup qualificants
 
 		   Angola 
Algeria 
Côte d'Ivoire 
Egypt 
Togo		 Pool C 
  Congo DR 
Guinea 
Mozambique 
Namibia		 Pool D 
 
source: African Soccer, London
 


 
 
© & Design by  **### INSTITUT FÜR UNIVERSELLE ZUSAMMENHÄNGE
 
 
  1