document_title: African nations at the FIFA World Cup

question_text: african countries to reach world cup quarter finals

question_tokens: african countries to reach world cup quarter finals

text: African nations at the FIFA World Cup

text: Overview[edit]

text:
1930

(13)
1934

(16)
1938

(15)
1950

(13)
1954

(16)
1958

(16)
1962

(16)
1966

(16)
1970

(16)
1974

(16)
1978

(16)
1982

(24)
1986

(24)
1990

(24)
1994

(24)
1998

(32)
2002

(32)
2006

(32)
2010

(32)
2014

(32)
2018

(32)
2022

(32)
Total

Teams
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
2
2
2
3
5
5
5
6
5
5

44

Top 16
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2

10

Top 12
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
0
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—

0

Top 8
—
0
0
—
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
—
0
1
0
0
1
0
1
0

3

Top 4
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

0

Top 2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

0

1st

0

2nd

0

3rd

0

4th

0

tag: table

text:
Country
Participations
Years
Best result

 Cameroon
7
1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2010, 2014
QF

 Nigeria
6
1994, 1998, 2002, 2010, 2014, 2018
R2

 Morocco
5
1970, 1986, 1994, 1998, 2018
R2

 Tunisia
5
1978, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2018
R1

 Algeria
4
1982, 1986, 2010, 2014
R2

 Ivory Coast
3
2006, 2010, 2014
R1

 Egypt
3
1934, 1990, 2018
R1

 Ghana
3
2006, 2010, 2014
QF

 South Africa
3
1998, 2002, 2010
R1

 Senegal
2
2002, 2018
QF

 Zaire
1
1974
R1

 Angola
1
2006
R1

 Togo
1
2006
R1

text: Results[edit]

text: Team results by tournament[edit]

text:
1st — Champions
2nd — Runners-up
3rd — Third place
4th — Fourth place
QF — Quarterfinals (1934–1938, 1954–1970, and 1986–present: knockout round of 8)
R2 — Round 2 (1974–1978, second group stage, top 8; 1982: second group stage, top 12; 1986–present: knockout round of 16)
R1 — Round 1

Q — Qualified for upcoming tournament
 ••  — Qualified but withdrew
 •  — Did not qualify
 ×  — Did not enter / Withdrew / Banned
   — Hosts
    — Not affiliated in FIFA

text: The team ranking in each tournament is according to FIFA.[1] The rankings, apart from the top four positions (top two in 1930), are not a result of direct competition between the teams; instead, teams eliminated in the same round are ranked by their full results in the tournament. In recent tournaments, FIFA has used the rankings for seedings for the final tournament draw.[2]

text: For each tournament, the number of teams in each finals tournament (in brackets) are shown.

text:
Team
1930

(13)
1934

(16)
1938

(15)
1950

(13)
1954

(16)
1958

(16)
1962

(16)
1966

(16)
1970

(16)
1974

(16)
1978

(16)
1982

(24)
1986

(24)
1990

(24)
1994

(24)
1998

(32)
2002

(32)
2006

(32)
2010

(32)
2014

(32)
2018

(32)
2022

(32)
Total
Qual.
Comp.

 Algeria
Part of France[3]
×
•
•
•
R1
13th
R1
22nd
•
•
•
•
•
R1
28th
R2
14th
•

4
13

 Angola
Part of Portugal
×
•
•
•
•
•
R1
23rd
•
•
•

1
9

 Cameroon
Part of France
×
×
•
•
•
R1
17th
•
QF
7th
R1
22nd
R1
25th
R1
20th
•
R1
31st
R1
32nd
•

7
13

 DR Congo[4]
Part of Belgium
×
×
R1
16th
×
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

1
11

 Egypt
×
R1
13th
×
×
•
×
×
×
×
•
•
•
•
R1
20th
•
•
•
•
•
•
Q

3
14

 Ghana
Part of the United Kingdom
×
•
×
•
•
•
×
•
•
•
•
•
R2
13th
QF
7th
R1
25th
•

3
13

 Ivory Coast
Part of France
×
×
×
•
•
×
•
•
•
•
•
R1
19th
R1
17th
R1
21st
•

3
11

 Morocco
Part of France
•
×
R1
14th
•
•
•
R2
11th
•
R1
23rd
R1
18th
•
•
•
•
Q

5
14

 Nigeria
Part of the United Kingdom
•
×
•
•
•
•
•
•
R2
9th
R2
12th
R1
27th
•
R1
27th
R2
16th
Q

6
14

 Senegal
Part of France
×
×
×
•
•
•
•
×
•
•
QF
7th
•
•
•
Q

2
11

 South Africa

×
×
×
×
×
×
×
×
×
×
•
R1
24th
R1
17th
•
R1
20th
•
•

3
7

 Togo
Part of France
×
×
×
•
•
•
×
×
•
•
•
R1
30th
•
•
•

1
10

 Tunisia
Part of France
•
×
•
•
R1
9th
•
•
•
•
R1
26th
R1
29th
R1
24th
•
•
Q

5
14

 Zaire
see Congo DR (1974–1994)[4]

text: Tournament standings[edit]

text:
Team
Champions
Finals
Semifinals
Quarterfinals
2nd Round

 Ghana
0
0
0
1
2

 Cameroon
0
0
0
1
1

 Senegal
0
0
0
1
1

 Nigeria
0
0
0
0
3

 Algeria
0
0
0
0
1

 Morocco
0
0
0
0
1

text:
Quarterfinals = knockout round of 8: 1934–1938, 1954–1970, and 1986–present; second group stage, top 8: 1974–1978
2nd Round = second group stage, top 12: 1982; knockout round of 16: 1986–present

text: Overall team records[edit]

text: As per statistical convention in football, matches decided in extra time are counted as wins and losses, while matches decided by penalty shoot-outs are counted as draws. 3 points per win, 1 point per draw and 0 points per loss.

text: As of Jul 01, 2014.

text:
Team
Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
Goal +/-
Points
Topscorers

 Cameroon
23
4
7
12
18
43
-25
19
R. Milla 5
S. Eto'o 3
P. M'Boma 2
F. Omam-Biyik 2

 Nigeria
18
5
3
10
20
26
-6
18
D. Amokachi 2
E. Amunike 2
A. Musa 2
K. Uche 2

 Ghana
12
4
3
5
13
16
-3
15
A. Gyan 6
S. Muntari 2

 Algeria
13
3
3
7
13
19
-6
12
S. Assad 2
A. Djabou 2
I. Slimani 2

 Ivory Coast
9
3
1
5
13
14
-1
10
W. Bony 2
A. Dindane 2
D. Drogba 2
Gervinho 2

 South Africa
9
2
4
3
11
16
-5
10
S. Bartlett 2
B. McCarthy 2

 Morocco
13
2
4
7
12
18
-6
10
A. Hadda 2
A. Khairi 2
S. Bassir 2

 Senegal
5
2
2
1
7
6
+1
8
P. Bouba Diop 3

 Tunisia
12
1
4
7
8
17
-9
7
R. Bouzaiene 1
M. Dhouib 1
N. Ghommidh 1
R. Jaidi 1
Z. Jaziri 1
A. Kaabi 1
J. Mnari 1
S. Souayah 1

 Angola
3
0
2
1
1
2
-1
2
A. Flavio 1

 Egypt
4
0
2
2
3
6
-3
2
A. Fawzi 2

 Togo
3
0
0
3
1
6
-5
0
M. Kader 1

 Zaire (1971–1997)
3
0
0
3
0
14
-14
0

text: Appearances[edit]

text: Ranking of teams by number of appearances[edit]

text:
Team
Appearances
Record streak
Active streak
Debut
Most recent
Best result (* = hosts)

 Cameroon
7
4
0
1982
2014
5 !Quarterfinals (1990)

 Nigeria
6
3
3
1994
2018
6 !Round 2 (1994, 1998, 2014)

 Morocco
5
2
1
1970
2018
6 !Round 2 (1986)

 Tunisia
5
3
1
1978
2018
7 !Round 1

 Algeria
4
2
0
1982
2014
7 !Round 2 (2014)

 Ghana
3
3
0
2006
2014
5 !Quarterfinals (2010)

 Ivory Coast
3
3
0
2006
2014
7 !Round 1

 Egypt
3
1
1
1934
2018
7 !Round 1

 South Africa
3
2
0
1998
2010
7 !Round 1

 Senegal
2
1
1
2002
2018
5 !Quarterfinals (2002)

 DR Congo[4]
1
1
0
1974
1974
7 !Round 1

 Angola
1
1
0
2006
2006
7 !Round 1

 Togo
1
1
0
2006
2006
7 !Round 1

text: Debut of teams[edit]

text: Each successive World Cup has had at least one team appearing for the first time. This table shows the national associations in alphabetical order per year.

text:
Year
Debutants
Total

1930

0

1934
 Egypt
1

1938

0

1950

0

1954

0

1958

0

1962

0

1966

0

1970
 Morocco
1

1974
 Zaire[4]
1

1978
 Tunisia
1

1982
 Algeria,  Cameroon
2

1986

0

1990

0

1994
 Nigeria
1

1998
 South Africa
1

2002
 Senegal
1

2006
 Angola,  Ghana,  Ivory Coast,  Togo
4

2010

0

2014

0

2018

0

Total

13

text: Not qualified[edit]

text: 41 of the 54 active FIFA and CAF members have never qualified for the final tournament.

text:
•  — Did not qualify
 ×  — Did not enter / Withdrew / Banned
    — Not affiliated in FIFA

text:
Country
Number of
Qualifying
attempts
1930

1934

1938

1950

1954

1958

1962

1966

1970

1974

1978

1982

1986

1990

1994

1998

2002

2006

2010

2014

2018

 Zambia
13
part of the United Kingdom
×
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

 Guinea
12
part of France
×
×
×
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

 Kenya
12
part of the United Kingdom
×
×
×
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

 Ethiopia
11

×
×
•
×
•
•
•
•
•
×
•
×
•
•
×
•
•

 Sudan
11

×
×
×
×
×
•
•
×
•
•
•
×
•
•
•
•
•
•

 Burkina Faso
10
part of France

×
•
•
•
×
×
•
×
•
•
•
•
•
•

 Malawi
10
part of the United Kingdom

×
×
•
•
•
•
×
•
•
•
•
•
•

 Sierra Leone
10
part of the United Kingdom
×
×
×
•
•
•
•
×
×
•
•
•
•
•
•

 Uganda
10

×
×
×
×
•
×
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

 Zimbabwe
10

×
•
×
×
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
×

member of AFC

 Congo
9

×
×
•
•
×
×
×
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

 Liberia
9

×
×
×
×
•
•
•
×
•
•
•
•
•
•

 Madagascar
9

×
×
×
×
•
•
×
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

 Tanzania
9

×
×
•
×
•
•
×
×
•
•
•
•
•
•

 Benin
8

×
×
•
×
×
•
×
•
×
•
•
•
•
•

 Gabon
8

×
×
×
×
×
×
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

 Gambia
8

×
×
×
•
•
×
×
•
•
•
•
•
•

 Libya
8
part of Italy

×
•
×
•
×
•
×
×
×
•
•
•
•
•

 Mozambique
8
part of Portugal

•
×
×
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

 Lesotho
7

×
×
•
×
•
×
×
×
×
•
•
•
•
•

 Mauritius
7

×
×
•
×
×
•
×
×
•
•
•
•
×
•

 Namibia
7

•
•
•
•
•
•
•

 Niger
7

×
×
•
•
×
×
•
×
×
•
•
•
•

 Swaziland
7

×
×
×
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

 Botswana
6

×
×
×
•
×
•
•
•
•
•

 Guinea-Bissau
6

×
×
•
•
•
•
•
•

 Mauritania
6
part of Italy
×
×
×
×
•
×
×
×
×
•
•
•
•
×
•

 Rwanda
6

×
×
×
×
×
•
•
•
•
•
•

 Somalia
6
part of Italy & UK
×
×
×
×
×
•
×
×
×
×
•
•
•
•
•

 Burundi
5

×
×
×
×
×
•
×
×
•
•
•
•

 Cape Verde
5

×
×
×
×
•
•
•
•
•

 Chad
5

×
×
×
•
•
•
•
•

 Equatorial Guinea
5

×
×
×
•
•
•
•
•

 Mali
5

×
×
×
×
×
×
×
×
×
•
•
•
•
•

 Seychelles
5

×
×
×
•
•
•
•
•

 Djibouti
4
part of France

×
•
×
•
•
•

 Eritrea
4
part of Ethiopia

•
•
×
•
•

 São Tomé and Príncipe
4

×
×
×
•
•
×
•
•

 Comoros
3
part of France

×
•
•
•

 Central African Republic
2

×
×
×
×
×
×
×
×
×
×
×
×
•
•

 South Sudan
1
part of Sudan
×
•

text: Summary of performance[edit]

text: This table shows for each world cup the number of countries at the World Cup, the number of entries (#E) from around the world (including any rejections and withdrawals), the number of African entries (#A), how many of those African entries withdrew (#A-) before/during qualification or were rejected by FIFA, the African representatives at the World Cup finals, the number of World Cup Qualifiers each African representative had to play to get to the World Cup (#WCQ), the furthest stage they reached, their results, and their coaches.

text:
Year
Host
Size
#E
#A
#A-
African
finalists
#WCQ
Stage
Results
Coach

1930
Uruguay
13
13
0
0
-

1934
Italy
16
32
1
0
 Egypt
2
R1
lost 2-4  Hungary
 James McRea

1938
France
15
37
1
1[5]
-

1950
Brazil
13
34
0
0
-

1954
Switzerland
16
45
1
0
-

1958
Sweden
16
56
3
3[6]
-

1962
Chile
16
56
7
2[7]
-

1966
England
16
74
17
17[8]
Boycott

1970
Mexico
16
75
14
2[9]
 Morocco
10
R1
lost 1-2  West Germany, lost 0-3  Peru, drew 1-1  Bulgaria
 Blagoja Vidinić

1974
West Germany
16
99
24
2[10]
 Zaire
10
R1
lost 0-2  Scotland, lost 0-9  Yugoslavia, lost 0-3  Brazil
 Blagoja Vidinić

1978
Argentina
16
107
26
4[11]
 Tunisia
10
R1
won 3-1  Mexico, lost 0-1  Poland, drew 0-0  West Germany
Abdelmajid Chetali

1982
Spain
24
109
29
4[12]
 Algeria
8
R1
won 2-1  West Germany, lost 0-2  Austria, won 3-2  Chile
 Mahieddine Khalef
 Rachid Mekhloufi

 Cameroon
8
R1
drew 0-0  Peru, drew 0-0  Poland, drew 1-1  Italy
Jean Vincent

1986
Mexico
24
121
29
3[13]
 Algeria
6
R1
drew 1-1  Northern Ireland, lost 0-1  Brazil, lost 0-3  Spain
 Rabah Saâdane

 Morocco
8
R2
drew 0-0  Poland, drew 0-0  England, win 3-1  Portugal
R2: lost 0-1  West Germany
José Faria

1990
Italy
24
116
26
5[14]
 Cameroon
8
QF
won 1-0  Argentina, won 2-1  Romania, lost 0-4  Soviet Union
R2: won 2-1  Colombia, QF: lost 2-3 (a.e.t.)  England
 Valeri Nepomniachi

 Egypt
8
R1
drew 1-1  Netherlands, drew 0-0  Republic of Ireland, lost 0-1  England
 Mahmoud El-Gohary

1994
U.S.
24
147
40
12[15]
 Cameroon
8
R1
drew 2-2  Sweden, lost 0-3  Brazil, lost 1-6  Russia
 Henri Michel

 Morocco
10
R1
lost 0-1  Belgium, lost 1-2  Saudi Arabia, lost 1-2  Netherlands
 Abdellah Blinda

 Nigeria
8
R2
won 3-0  Bulgaria, lost 1-2  Argentina, won 2-0  Greece
R2: lost 1-2 (a.e.t.)  Italy
 Clemens Westerhof

1998
France
32
174
38
3[16]
 Cameroon
6
R1
drew 1-1  Austria, lost 0-3  Italy, drew 1-1  Chile
 Claude Le Roy

 Morocco
6
R1
drew 2-2  Norway, lost 0-3  Brazil, won 3-0  Scotland
 Henri Michel

 Nigeria
6
R2
won 3-2  Spain, won 1-0  Bulgaria, lost 1-3  Paraguay
R2: lost 1-4  Denmark
 Bora Milutinovic

 South Africa
8
R1
lost 0-3  France, drew 1-1  Denmark, drew 2-2  Saudi Arabia
 Philippe Troussier

 Tunisia
8
R1
lost 0-2  England, lost 0-1  Colombia, drew 1-1  Romania
 Henryk Kasperczak

2002
South Korea
and Japan
32
199
51
2[17]
 Cameroon
10
R1
drew 1-1  Republic of Ireland, won 1-0  Saudi Arabia, lost 0-2  Germany
 Winfried Schäfer

 Nigeria
10
R1
lost 0-1  Argentina, lost 1-2  Sweden, drew 0-0  England
 Festus Onigbinde

 South Africa
8
R1
drew 2-2  Paraguay, won 1-0  Slovenia, lost 2-3  Spain
 Jomo Sono

 Senegal
10
QF
won 1-0  France, drew 1-1  Denmark, drew 3-3  Uruguay
R2: won 2-1 (a.e.t.)  Sweden, QF: lost 0-1 (a.e.t.)  Turkey
 Bruno Metsu

 Tunisia
10
R1
lost 0-2  Russia, drew 1-1  Belgium, lost 0-2  Japan
 Ammar Souayah

2006
Germany
32
197
51
1[18]
 Angola
12
R1
lost 0-1  Portugal, drew 0-0  Mexico, drew 1-1  Iran
 Luís Oliveira Gonçalves

 Ivory Coast
10
R1
lost 1-2  Argentina, lost 1-2  Netherlands, won 3-2  Serbia and Montenegro
 Henri Michel

 Ghana
12
R2
lost 0-2  Italy, won 2-0  Czech Republic, won 2-1  United States
R2: lost 0-3  Brazil
 Ratomir Dujković

 Togo
12
R1
lost 1-2  South Korea, lost 0-2   Switzerland, lost 0-2  France
 Otto Pfister

 Tunisia
10
R1
drew 2-2  Saudi Arabia, lost 1-3  Spain, lost 0-1  Ukraine
 Roger Lemerre

2010
South Africa
32
204
53
4[19]
 Algeria
13
R1
lost 0-1  Slovenia, drew 0-0  England, lost 0-1  United States
 Rabah Saâdane

 Cameroon
12
R1
lost 0-1  Japan, lost 1-2  Denmark, lost 1-2  Netherlands
 Paul Le Guen

 Ivory Coast
12
R1
drew 0-0  Portugal, lost 1-3  Brazil, won 3-0  North Korea
 Sven-Göran Eriksson

 Ghana
12
QF
won 1-0  Serbia, drew 1-1  Australia, lost 0-1  Germany
R2: won 2-1 (a.e.t.)  United States, QF: drew 1-1 (2-4 p.s.o.)  Uruguay
 Milovan Rajevac

 Nigeria
12
R1
lost 0-1  Argentina, lost 1-2  Greece, drew 2-2  South Korea
 Lars Lagerbäck

 South Africa
host
R1
drew 1-1  Mexico, lost 0-3  Uruguay, won 2-1  France
 Carlos Alberto Parreira

2014
Brazil
32
203
53
1[20]

 Algeria

R2
lost 1-2  Belgium, won 4-2  South Korea, drew 1-1  Russia
R2: lost 1-2 (a.e.t.)  Germany
 Vahid Halilhodžić

 Cameroon

R1
lost 0-1  Mexico, lost 0-4  Croatia, lost 1-4  Brazil
 Volker Finke

 Ivory Coast

R1
won 2-1  Japan, lost 1-2  Colombia, lost 1-2  Greece
 Sabri Lamouchi

 Ghana

R1
lost 1-2  United States, drew 2-2  Germany, lost 1-2  Portugal
 James Kwesi Appiah

 Nigeria

R2
drew 0-0  Iran, won 1-0  Bosnia and Herzegovina, lost 2-3  Argentina
R2: lost 0-2  France
 Stephen Keshi

text: Performance at individual World Cups[edit]

text: 1930s: Egypt's early appearance[edit]

text: The inaugural 1930 FIFA World Cup was the only one without any qualification process. No African teams entered.

text: The Pharaohs of Egypt were the only African team to apply to feature at the 1934 FIFA World Cup. As there were 32 countries competing for 16 places, FIFA organized the first qualification round. Egypt was placed in a group with Turkey and Palestine,[21] then a British mandate. Turkey withdrew, and Egypt beat Palestine 7-1 in Cairo and 4-1 in Jerusalem to qualify for the World Cup finals. The 1934 FIFA World Cup finals was organized as a straight knock-out. Egypt lost 2-4 to Hungary in Naples[22] with Abdulrahman Fawzi scoring twice to become the first African to score at the World Cup finals. However, a third goal by Fawzi was ruled offside by the Italian referee despite the player having dribbled from the middle of the pitch, and the fourth Hungarian goal involved a scuffle where the Hungarian striker broke the Egyptian goalkeeper's nose with his elbow. The Italian newspapers heavily criticized their referee, but Egypt sailed home and only returned to the World Cup finals 56 years later.[23]

text: 1938-1966: World Cup without Africa[edit]

text: Egypt was the only African country to apply to compete at the 1938 FIFA World Cup, but withdrew before playing any matches.

text: No African countries applied to compete at the 1950 FIFA World Cup.

text: Egypt was the only African country to apply to compete at the 1954 World Cup. They were placed in a two-team group with Italy, but lost 1-2 in Cairo and 1-5 in Milan, and thus did not qualify for the World Cup.

text: Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan all applied to enter the qualification process for the 1958 FIFA World Cup, but Ethiopia's entry was rejected by FIFA.

text: Egypt and Sudan competed in an Africa/Asia zone with ten Asian countries for one spot at the World Cup. Egypt progressed to the next round after Cyprus withdrew, but then itself withdrew. Sudan defeated Syria 2-1 on aggregate but eventually withdrew in protest at having to play Israel. (Eventually, the spot originally reserved for Africa and Asia was taken by Wales.[24])

text: Seven African countries entered the qualification process for the 1962 FIFA World Cup : Ghana, United Arab Republic (a joint football association by Egypt and Syria, who were politically united between 1958 and 1961), Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, Sudan and Tunisia. Ethiopia entered through the UEFA qualification process, where it was eliminated by Israel, while the rest entered through the CAF qualification process. Both Sudan and U.A.R. withdrew as FIFA would not allow them to rearrange matches to avoid the monsoon season, so the four teams formed two two-team groups. In the first group, Morocco and Tunisia both beat each other 2-1 at home, and then played a third match at a neutral location (Palermo, Italy) which ended in a 1-1 draw after extra time. Since penalty shootouts were not used by FIFA till the 1970s, Morocco advanced by drawing lots[25] to eliminate Tunisia. Morocco then eliminated Ghana with a draw and a win to proceed to a UEFA/CAF playoff with Spain. They lost both legs of this playoff, meaning that no African nation made it to the World Cup finals for the fifth time in a row.

text: Seventeen African countries entered the qualification process for the 1966 FIFA World Cup : Algeria, Cameroon, French Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Libya, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, and Tunisia. FIFA rejected the application of French Congo, and had already suspended South Africa for apartheid, resulting in their disqualification.

text: FIFA's allocation of only one place to three continents (Africa, Asia, Oceania) was subject to significant criticism, especially given the large increase in applications from newly independent African countries. After FIFA confirmed the allocation, the remaining fifteen African nations withdrew in protest.[26]

text: 1970: Morocco returns Africa to the World Cup[edit]

text: Fourteen African countries entered the qualification process for the 1970 World Cup : Algeria, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rhodesia, Senegal, Sudan, Tunisia, Zaire, and Zambia. FIFA rejected the applications of Guinea and Zaire. The Atlas Lions of Morocco played ten matches to qualify for the single CAF spot at the World Cup, advancing along the way past Tunisia by virtue of a coin toss.[25]

text: Rhodesia, having been expelled from CAF for having a white minority government, entered through the Asia/Oceania qualifying group, where they had to play against Australia in Portuguese-held Mozambique (there was a boycott against playing matches in Rhodesia). The first two matches were drawn, thanks in large part to the excellent Rhodesian goalkeeper Robin Jordan,[27] and the desperate Australians hired a Mozambican sangoma to 'curse' him. In the third match, Jordan was taken off injured after a collision with another player, Australia won 3–1, then refused to pay the sangoma, got 'cursed' by the irate man, and were eliminated two weeks later by Israel.[28] Meanwhile, Rhodesia's CAF expulsion was soon followed by a FIFA expulsion, with Zimbabwe readmitted in 1980.

text: At the 1970 World Cup, Morocco was placed in Group 4 along with West Germany, Peru, and Bulgaria. They lost 1–2 to eventual semi-finalists West Germany, lost 0–3 to Peru, and drew 1–1 with Bulgaria. The two goalscorers were Houmane Jarir (against West Germany) and Maouhoub Ghazouani (against Bulgaria), who were thus the second and third ever African goalscorers at the World Cup. Morocco finished bottom of the group, on goal difference, with one point - the first African point in the World Cup.

text: 1974: Zaire makes an impression[edit]

text: 24 African countries entered the qualification process for the 1974 FIFA World Cup, with the Leopards of Zaire eventually qualifying quite comfortably, scoring 18 goals and conceding 5 in the ten matches they played to qualify.[29]

text: At the 1974 FIFA World Cup, Zaire were placed in Group 2 along with Scotland, Yugoslavia (home of Zaire coach and 1970 Morocco coach Blagoja Vidinić), and Brazil. In their first match against Scotland, they impressed with their fast attacking style, and lost just 0-2. Scottish centre-half Jim Holton said after the match "Let's face it, we underestimated them. For fifteen minutes I wondered what the hell was going on, where the devil had this lot come from, playing stuff like that!"[30]

text: The next opponents Yugoslavia had noted holes in the Zairean defence, and fully exploited them to hammer Zaire 9-0 in a then record win for World Cup finals, with all but three of their outfield players getting on the scoresheet.[31] Zaire striker Mulamba Ndaye, who was sent off for protesting that a goal by the Yugoslavians was offside, said after the match, "The management had made off with our match bonuses, and we'd threatened not to play the game. Frankly we'd lost our morale. We could easily have let in 20 goals."

text: After the defeat, the Zairean team were told by the country's dictator Mobutu Sese Seko - who had rewarded the players for qualifying with a house and a car each - not to come home if defending champions Brazil beat them 4-0 or worse.[32] Zaire managed to keep Brazil to merely a 0-3 defeat, with Zairean defender Mwepu Ilunga receiving a yellow card for interfering with a free kick.[33] Zaire left the tournament without scoring a goal.

text: 1978: Tunisia becomes first African team to win at the World Cup[edit]

text: 26 African countries entered the qualification process for 1 spot at the 1978 FIFA World Cup. In comparison, 22 Asia/Oceania countries also competed for 1 spot, while 31 European countries competed for 8.5 spots. Les Aigles de Carthage (The Carthage Eagles) of Tunisia eventually qualified, along the way eliminating Morocco in the first ever penalty shootout in World Cup qualification history.[26] This was a major change for Tunisia, who had been eliminated by Morocco quite literally by chance on three previous occasions[25] in the 1960s.

text: Tunisia were placed in Group 2 with West Germany, Poland, and Mexico. After Zaire's fate in 1974, they were not expected to do well. They were 0-1 down to Mexico at half-time when their Tunisian coach Abdelmajid Chetali told them that they treated their opponents with too much respect, and that they could still win the game if they tackled hard and imposed their belief and self-confidence.[34] Buoyed by the pep talk, the North Africans scored thrice in the second half to win 3-1 and become the first African team to win a match at the World Cup. They lost their next match to Poland 1-0, missing several chances, and held West Germany to a goalless draw. While this was not enough to progress to the next round, African football pride had been restored.

text: 1982: Algeria wins twice but eliminated[edit]

text: This was the first World Cup with 24 teams, and Africa's representation was doubled. So 29 African countries competed for 2 spots in World Cup qualification. In comparison, 21 Asian nations also competed for 2 spots, but 33 European nations competed for 13 spots. 1978 finalists Tunisia were eliminated in the first round by Nigeria on penalties. Four series of knockout rounds were played, with the final two spots going down to Nigeria vs Algeria, and Morocco vs Cameroon. Both Les Fennecs (The Desert Foxes) of Algeria and Les Lions Indomptables (The Indomitable Lions) of Cameroon won 2-0 away and 2-1 at home and qualified for the World Cup.

text: Cameroon were placed in Group 1, where they surprised everyone by remaining undefeated. They drew 0-0 with Peru, 0-0 with Poland, and 1-1 with Italy. Grégoire Mbida scored Cameroon's first World Cup finals goal. Italy had also drawn its three matches, so also had a goal difference of 0, but had scored two goals to Cameroon's one, so Cameroon were eliminated. This was especially painful because in their opening match against Peru, Cameroon striker Roger Milla had a goal wrongly disallowed for offside.

text: Algeria were placed in Group 2 with West Germany, Austria, and Chile. The Africans produced a major upset in the first match, beating West Germany 2-1 with goals by Rabah Madjer and Lakhdar Belloumi. They lost their second match 0-2 to Austria, then produced another surprise by beating Chile 3-2. The day after the Algeria vs Chile match, West Germany and Austria played the final group match in Gijón knowing that a 1-0 or 2-0 win for West Germany would result in both European teams qualifying at the expense of Algeria on goal difference. West Germany scored after ten minutes, and then both teams appeared to pass the ball aimlessly around for the remaining 80 minutes.

text: This performance was widely deplored by all observers. The Spanish crowd shouted, "Fuera, fuera!" ("Out, out!") while angry Algerian supporters waved banknotes at the players to suggest that the game was fixed. Even the two sides' fans were disgusted, with an Austrian television commentator advising viewers to turn off their TV sets, a German television commentator refusing to commentate further, and a German fan burning his national flag in protest. Furious Algerian football officials lodged an official protest, but the two teams denied any collusion. As nothing could be proved and the two teams had technically broken no rules, FIFA allowed the result to stand. FIFA did change the rules - in future World Cups, the final two games in each group are played simultaneously.[35] Thus Algeria were eliminated from the 1982 FIFA World Cup at the first hurdle despite two wins.

text: 1986: Morocco becomes first African team into the Round of 16[edit]

text: As with 1982, 29 African countries entered the qualification process for two spots at the World Cup. There were four series of knockout rounds, with four Mediterranean countries making the final round. Algeria beat neighbours Tunisia 7-1 on aggregate and becomes the first African team to qualify consecutively for the second time to World Cup. Morocco beat Libya 3-1 on aggregate and qualify for their second World Cups.

text: Algeria were placed in Group D with Brazil, Spain, and Northern Ireland. They did not reach the heights of its previous finals appearance, drawing 1-1 with Northern Ireland, losing 0-1 to Brazil, and losing 0-3 to Spain.

text: Morocco shocked both Poland and England with goalless draws, and then defeated Portugal 3-1 to become the first African team to progress beyond the first round. In the second round, they faced a West German side that had seven survivors from the Shame of Gijón match.[36][37] Goalkeeper Badou Zaki kept Morocco in the game with a series of excellent saves, but was finally beaten in the 87th minute by Disgrace of Gijón substitute Lothar Matthäus. West Germany won 1-0 and went on to reach their second successive final.

text: 1990: Cameroon's Indomitable Lions reach the Quarter Finals[edit]

text: 26 African countries entered the qualification process for 2 spots at the 1990 FIFA World Cup. This was the first time African qualification moved from a mostly straight home-away knockout format to include group stages early on. Finally it came down to four teams playing in two playoffs for the final: Algeria vs Egypt and Tunisia vs Cameroon. Cameroon beat Tunisia 2-0 at home and 1-0 away, and qualified for their second World Cup. However, the playoff between the two North African sides was significantly more ill-tempered.

text: After a goalless draw in Constantine, Egypt beat Algeria 1-0 in Cairo to qualify for the World Cup. After the Cairo match, an Algerian player gouged out an Egyptian team doctor's eye with a broken bottle. The player blamed, Lakhdar Belloumi (who scored the winning goal in Algeria's 2-1 defeat of West Germany in 1982[38]), was not allowed to travel outside Algeria owing to an Interpol international arrest warrant for twenty years till the (financially compensated) Egyptian doctor dropped the charges in 2009.[39] Belloumi always claimed innocence in the incident, with him and other players pointing the finger at Algerian goalkeeper Kamel Kadri instead.[40]

text: There was tragedy during the second round Group C match between Nigeria and Angola on 12 August 1989 at the Lagos National Stadium when 24-year-old Nigerian midfielder (and qualified lawyer) Samuel Okwaraji collapsed and died of congestive heart failure in the 77th minute.[41][42]

text: Egypt were placed in Group F with England, Netherlands, and Ireland. It turned out to be one of the tightest groups in World Cup history, with five draws in six games. Egypt drew 1-1 with the Netherlands, drew 0-0 with Ireland, but lost their final match 0-1 to England. Egypt's only goal of the tournament was a penalty by Magdi Abdelghani against the Netherlands. Egypt were thus eliminated from World Cup, still without a win after losing their only match in 1930.

text: Cameroon were undoubtedly the surprise package of the tournament. In their first match, they shocked Diego Maradona's defending champions Argentina 1-0 through a goal by François Omam-Biyik, despite finishing their match with nine men. In their next match, they defeated Romania 2-1 thanks to two goals from 38-year-old substitute Roger Milla. These were Milla's first official goals in the World Cup; he had had a goal against Peru wrongly disallowed for offside during the 1982 FIFA World Cup. Having already qualified for the next round, Cameroon then suffered their first loss (after three draws and two wins) in World Cup history, losing 0-4 to the Soviet Union. In the second round, Cameroon defeated Colombia 2-1, with Milla again coming on as a second-half substitute to score twice, famously dispossessing Colombian goalkeeper René Higuita for one of them. By this time, Roger Milla, his post-goal celebrations, and Cameroon had firmly implanted themselves in the global footballing consciousness. In the quarter finals, they were seven minutes from qualifying for the semi-finals when England were awarded a penalty. England won the match 3-2 after extra time, with three of the five goals coming from penalties (1 for Cameroon, 2 for England).

text: 1994: Zambian air tragedy, Nigeria reaches Round of 16[edit]

text: 40 African countries entered the qualification process for 3 spots at the 1994 FIFA World Cup. The extra spot was awarded after the strong performances of Cameroon and Egypt at Italia 90. However, only 28 played all their matches after FIFA rejected Libya (due to UN sanctions) and 11 other nations withdrew at various stages. There was a new qualification format, with two group stages. The big casualty of the first stage was 1990 finalists Egypt, as crowd trouble in Cairo turned a 2-1 home victory over Zimbabwe into a crucial 0-0 draw when FIFA ordered the match replayed at a neutral location.

text: In the new second stage of qualification were three groups of three, with winners qualifying for the World Cup. The Super Eagles of Nigeria won Group A on goal difference, beating both Côte d'Ivoire and Algeria 4-1 in Lagos. In Group C, Cameroon won the group with 3 wins and a loss away to second placed Zimbabwe, with Guinea coming third.

text: In Group B were Morocco, Senegal, and Zambia. In the first match, Morocco beat Senegal 1-0. In the second match, Zambia were to face Senegal in Dakar. However, the plane carrying the Zambian team crashed en route on 28 April 1993. The crash, attributed to mechanical problems and pilot error, killed all thirty people on board, including nearly the entire football team - 18 players - and coaches, support staff, and plane crew. (The Zambian government had yet to release a report on the investigation of the crash of the military plane even ten years later.[43][44]) Only two European-based players from the original squad missed the flight - Charles Musonda of Anderlecht, who was injured, and captain Kalusha Bwalya,[45] who was flying in from Europe where he played with PSV Eindhoven. All matches in the group were postponed for a month. Zambia hastily put together a new team, captained by Bwalya, and defeated Morocco 2-1 in Lusaka in the first match with the new team with goals from Kalusha Bwalya and Johnson Bwalya (not related). However, they lost their final group match 0-1 to Morocco in Casablanca and Morocco won Group B by one point. Amazingly, the rebuilt Chipolopolo (Copper Bullets) also went on to reach the finals of the 1994 African Cup of Nations.

text: At the 1994 FIFA World Cup finals in the U.S., Cameroon drew their first game in Group B with eventual semi-finalists Sweden 2-2 and lost their second to eventual winners Brazil 0-3. They were 0-3 down to Russia in their third match when half-time substitute Roger Milla scored in the 46th minute (becoming at 42 the oldest man ever to score at the World Cup finals) and sparked brief hopes of a miracle comeback. However, the final score was a 1-6 loss to Russia, with Oleg Salenko netting a record-breaking five goals in vain. In Group F, Morocco lost its three matches by a goal each, 0-1 to Belgium, 1-2 to Saudi Arabia, and 1-2 to the Netherlands.

text: In Group D, Nigeria thumped eventual semi-finalists Bulgaria 3-0, then fell to a 1-2 loss to Argentina before beating Greece 2-0. Nigeria, Bulgaria, and Argentina all finished on six points and qualified for the second round. In the second round, Nigeria faced Italy. Emmanuel Amuneke scored in the 25th minute, leaving Nigeria with a 1-0 lead two minutes from the next round when Roberto Baggio scored in the 88th minute. Baggio scored again in extra time to send Nigeria home.

text: This was the third successive World Cup where an African team progressed beyond the first stage, after Morocco in 1986 and Cameroon in 1990. This was a major factor in FIFA increasing Africa's allocation from 3 to 5 spots as the World Cup expanded from 24 to 32 four years later.

text: 1998: Nigeria reaches the Round of 16 again[edit]

text: 38 African countries entered the qualification process for 5 spots at the 1998 FIFA World Cup. This was the first time that three points, instead of two, were awarded for a win. Burundi won both their first round qualification matches but then had to withdraw due to civil war. Sierra Leone, who they had just eliminated, took their place in the second round, and then became the first nation in World Cup qualifying history to be eliminated twice in the same qualifying campaign.[26] Eventually, Cameroon, Morocco, Nigeria, and Tunisia qualified for the World Cup finals along with newcomers Bafana Bafana of South Africa, who had only been readmitted to FIFA in 1992.

text: The five African teams all took European coaches (three Frenchman, one Serb, one Pole) to the finals, making it the first time since 1974 that there was no African coach at the World Cup.[46]

text: In Group A, Morocco drew their first match 2-2 with Norway and then lost 0-3 to Brazil. The last two matches in the group were played simultaneously (as they had after the Disgrace of Gijón in 1982) - with ten minutes left, Morocco were leading Scotland 2-0 while Brazil led Norway 1-0. But Norway scored twice in the 83rd and 88th minutes to beat Brazil 2-1.[47] Morocco also scored once more to beat Scotland 3-0, but went home.

text: In Group B, Cameroon drew their first match 1-1 with Austria (the Austrians equalizing in the 90th minute) but then lost 0-3 to Italy. Cameroon could have progressed if they won their final group match against Chile, but they drew 1-1 and went home. During the final match, Cameroon's Rigobert Song became the first man to pick up red cards at two World Cups - he was sent off as a 17-year-old against Brazil in 1994. (The second man to be red carded at two World Cups would be Zinedine Zidane eight years later.)

text: In Group C, South Africa began their debut World Cup finals campaign with a 0-3 loss to hosts and eventual champions France. They then drew 1-1 with Denmark, Benni McCarthy scoring their first World Cup finals goal. They needed to win big in their final match against Saudi Arabia but could only manage a 2-2 draw, giving away two penalties and only managing to equalize late into injury time with their own penalty, taken by brace-scorer Shaun Bartlett.

text: In Group D, Nigeria opened with a 3-2 win over fancied Spain and another 1-0 win over Bulgaria. Having qualified for the next stage, they then lost 1-3 to Paraguay. Both Nigeria and Paraguay qualified for the next stage, with Spain losing out despite thumping Bulgaria 6-1. However, in the Round of 16, Nigeria were beaten 1-4 by Denmark. All Nigeria's six goals in the tournament came from six different players.[48]

text: In Group G, Tunisia lost their first two matches 0-2 to England and 0-1 to Colombia. They then managed to draw 1-1 with Romania, who had won their first two matches and topped the group. Thus Tunisia's second appearance at the World Cup (after 1978) ended in them scoring only one goal, a penalty.

text: Thus only 2 of Africa's 5 representatives came away with at least one win. However, there was an African representative in the second round for the fourth time in succession.

text: 2002: Senegal reaches the quarter finals[edit]

text: 51 African countries entered the qualification process for five spots at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Four of the five 1998 finalists again made it through, with Les Lions de la Teranga (Teranga Lions[49]) of Senegal replacing Morocco. Senegal and Morocco topped the same qualification group each with four wins, three draws, and a loss, but Senegal had a seven-goal superior goal difference thanks to their 9–0 aggregate thrashings of group minnows Namibia. In contrast, the Namibians had managed to hold Morocco to a goalless draw in Windhoek.

text: Like Cameroon 12 years earlier, Senegal started with a shock 1-0 win over the defending champions and went on to reach the quarter finals. In Group A, after beating France 1-0 with a goal from Papa Bouba Diop, they drew 1-1 with eventual group winners Denmark. In their final match against Uruguay, they were leading 3-0 at half-time. In the second half, the South Americans - for whom a win would have them progress at Senegal's expense - scored twice, and then a third time with an 88th-minute penalty kick. Senegal survived the frenetic final minutes of the game to hang on to a 3-3 result. Thus and Senegal progressed to the next round while former champions Uruguay and France went home. In the Round of 16, a golden goal in extra time (to add to his 37th-minute strike) from Henri Camara took Senegal 2-1 past Sweden after extra time. But in the quarter-finals against Turkey, they were eliminated by a golden goal four minutes into extra time.

text: In Group B, South Africa drew 2-2 with Paraguay with an injury time penalty, then scored their first ever World Cup win by beating Slovenia 1-0. However a 2-3 loss to Spain then sent South Africa home. In Group E, Cameroon drew 1-1 with Republic of Ireland, beat Saudi Arabia 1-0, and then lost 0-2 to Germany. In Group F, Nigeria lost 0-1 to Argentina, lost 1-2 to Sweden, and having been eliminated, held England to a 0-0 draw. In Group H, Tunisia lost 0-2 to Russia, drew 1-1 with Belgium, and lost 0-2 to co-hosts Japan.

text: Of Africa's five representatives, three won at least once, but only one progressed beyond the first round. Still, Senegal's surprise run made it the fifth successive time an African nation had made it to the Round of 16, and the second time an African country had reached the quarter finals. Three of the five African nations (South Africa, Nigeria, Tunisia) took a local coach to the World Cup; only one of those three scored a win.

text: 2006: Ghana reaches the Round of 16[edit]

text: 51 African countries entered the race for 5 spots at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in a qualification process that doubled as one for the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations. In the final qualification round, teams were organized into five groups of six teams, with winners qualifying for the World Cup and the top three for the continental tournament. More matches were needed to qualify - while at both the 1998 and 2002 32-team World Cups, 3 of the 5 African teams played only 6 matches to get to the finals, here 3 of the 5 teams that qualified played 12 matches. Four of Africa's five representatives to the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals were debutants, in contrast to 2002 when four of five had appeared at the previous World Cup.

text: In Group 1, Togo beat 2002 World Cup quarterfinalists Senegal by two points. The Black Stars of Ghana won Group 2 by five points while in Group 3, Les Éléphants of Côte d'Ivoire lost both its matches to Cameroon but won the group since Cameroon drew too often. In Group 5, Tunisia won the group one point ahead of 1998 finalists and perennial rivals Morocco. Although Morocco was the only African team (of those who played a match) to remain undefeated, it drew half its matches. In Group 4, Angola and Nigeria both finished with 21 points after 10 matches, with Nigeria having a far superior goal difference thanks largely to scoring five goals against both Algeria and 3rd placed Zimbabwe in their last two matches. However, it had already been decided that head to head results were to be used to break such ties in 2006 World Cup Qualification before goal difference. The Palancas Negras (Black Antelopes) of Angola, having beaten Nigeria 2-1 on aggregate, qualified for the World Cup.

text: At the World Cup Finals, Côte d'Ivoire lost its first two Group C matches 1-2 to Argentina and 1-2 to the Netherlands before coming back from 0-2 down to beat Serbia and Montenegro 3-2. In Group D, Angola - the only African team at the finals with a local coach (Luís Oliveira Gonçalves) - lost their first match 0-1 to Portugal, then drew 0-0 with Mexico and 1-1 with Iran. In Group G, Togo made more news off the pitch with disputes over team bonuses causing coach Otto Pfister to walk out on the team until just before the first match and FIFA officials having to step in to stop players threatening to boycott the second match.[50] Togo lost 1-2 to South Korea, lost 0-2 to Switzerland, and 0-2 to eventual finalists France. In Group H, Tunisia drew 2-2 with Saudi Arabia, lost 1-3 to Spain (including an injury time penalty from Fernando Torres), and 0-1 to Ukraine.

text: In Group E, Ghana began with up a 0-2 loss to eventual winners Italy with a 2-0 win over the Czech Republic and a 2-1 win over the U.S.. Thus the debutants ensured an African representative in the Round of 16 for the sixth successive World Cup. They lost 0-3 to Brazil in the Round of 16. The match was later alleged to have been fixed,[51] charges immediately denied by the Ghana Football Association.[52]

text: While for the sixth successive time there was an African team in the Round of 16, Africa remained the only continent (other than Oceania) to never have two teams reach the Round of 16 at the same World Cup.

text: 2010: Ghana gets to Quarter Final[edit]

text: The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the first time the World Cup was staged in Africa, with South Africa being the hosts. Their national team became the first World Cup hosts to get knocked out in the first round. Nigeria, Algeria, Ivory Coast and Cameroon also exited the tournament after the Group stages

text: However, Ghana progressed beyond the group stages of the FIFA World Cup for the second time in a row, and defeated the U.S. 2-1 after extra time in the Round of 16, which saw them reach the quarter-finals, becoming the third African nation to do so. In the quarter-finals, they were eliminated by Uruguay. Ghana were defeated by Uruguay on penalties after Luis Suárez controversially handballed on the goal line deep into extra time, denying Ghana an almost certain winning goal. The penalty that followed, was missed by Asamoah Gyan.[53] Had Ghana won their quarter final they would have become the first African nation to progress to the semi finals of the world cup. Of the 32 countries that participated in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, FIFA ranked Ghana 7th.[54]

text: 2014: Algeria and Nigeria: 2 African teams to the Round of 16[edit]

text: The 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil marked the first time more than one African team went beyond the group stages. While Ghana and Cameroon both collected disappointing results (apart from Ghana's 2-2 draw with later champions Germany, which saw them becoming the only team not to lose against the Germans in the entire tournament) and eventually ended fourth in their group, Ivory Coast were also knocked out in the first round after a last-minute penalty kick against Greece and ended third in Group C, above Japan, whom they had defeated 2-1 in their first match.

text: Africa's pride, however, was saved by both Nigeria and Algeria. The Nigerians kicked off their Group F campaign with a disappointing 0-0 draw against Iran, before eventually defeating debutants Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-0. Stephen Keshi's team went down 3-2 to later finalists Argentina in their final match, leaving them on the brink of elimination, but Iran lost to the Bosnians 3-1 and Nigeria went through to the Round of 16 for the third time in history, after 1998 and 1994.

text: Algeria lost 2-1 to a strong Belgium in their opening match in Group H, a loss which was followed by an unexpected 4-2 victory over the Korean Republic in Porto Alegre in their second match. In their final Group H encounter, a hard-won 1-1 draw with Russia was enough to send the North Africans through to the next round.

text: In the Round of 16, both African teams fell just short to beat the likes of France (Nigeria) and Germany (Algeria), but the fact that two African nations had reached that far, was a reason to be optimistic about the future of African football.

text: During the 2014 edition, Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan became Africa's all-time leading topscorer at the FIFA World Cup, having scored 6 goals in 3 World Cups, thus exceeding Cameroon veteran Roger Milla's 5 goals.

text: Like in many former World Cup editions, Africa's participation was marked by political and financial conflicts, as well as instability between teams and staff, which caused outrage about mainly the Cameroon and Ghana camps, which had taken drastic measures to keep the players happy.

text: African firsts at the World Cup[edit]

text: World Cup Finals[edit]

text:
1934: Egypt, first African country at the World Cup
1934: Abdulrahman Fawzi of Egypt, first African to score at the World Cup, who scored both Egypt's goals in 2-4 loss against Hungary. He netted a third, but was ruled offside.[23]
1970: Morocco, first African country to score a goal at the World Cup Finals, with a 1-1 draw against Bulgaria
1974: Kidumu Mantantu of Zaire, first African player to receive a yellow card at the World Cup against Scotland on 14 June 1974.[55]
1974: Mulamba Ndaye of Zaire, first African player to receive a red card at the World Cup against Yugoslavia on 18 June 1974.[31]
1978: Tunisia, first African country to win a match at the World Cup Finals, with 3-1 over Mexico
1978: Abdelmajid Chetali of Tunisia, first African coach at the World Cup Finals
1982: Algeria, first African team to win twice at the group stage (The first team eliminated after a twice winning in the Fifa World Cup)
1982: FIFA introduced a revised qualification system at subsequent World Cups in which the final two games in each group were played simultaneously after Algeria protesting against its controversial elimination from the group stage caused by the match named Disgrace of Gijón.
1986: Algeria, first African team to qualify twice in a row (1982 and 1986)
1986: Morocco, first African team to reach round of 16
1990: Cameroon, first African team to reach quarter-finals
1990: Magdi Abdelghani of Egypt, first African to score a penalty at the World Cup in the 1-1 draw against the Netherlands
1994: Nigeria scored the biggest African win at the World Cup Finals, 3-0 over Bulgaria
1994: Roger Milla, the oldest player to score at World Cup Finals, aged 42, against Russia. (Russia won the match 6-1)
1998: Youssef Chippo of Morocco. first African to score an own goal at the World Cup, in the 2-2 draw against Norway on 10 June 1998. Two days later, Pierre Issa of South Africa scored an own goal in the 0-3 loss to France.
2010: South Africa, first African country to host the World Cup
2010: Itumeleng Khune of South Africa, first African goalkeeper to receive a red card at the World Cup against Uruguay. (He was the second goalkeeper ever sent off at the World Cup Finals, after Italy's Gianluca Pagliuca at the 1994 FIFA World Cup)
2014: Algeria and Nigeria, first occasion in which two African teams qualified for round of 16
2014: Algeria, first African team to score four goals in one match, in the 4-2 win against South Korea
2014: Stephen Keshi of Nigeria, first African coach to reach round of 16

text: World Cup Qualifiers[edit]

text:
1978 WCQ: Tunisia, first African team to use penalties in World Cup Qualification, beating Morocco 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.[25][26]
2002 WCQ: Abdul Hamid Bassiouny of Egypt, the fastest-ever hat-trick in an "A" international, scored a hat-trick in 177 seconds against Namibia in Alexandria on 13 July 2001 during an 8-2 win by Egypt.[26][56]
2010 WCQ: Algeria, most matches played by an African team to qualify for the World Cup Finals, 13 matches


document_title: The Muppet Christmas Carol

question_text: who wrote the music for muppet christmas carol

root

text: The Muppet Christmas Carol

text: Plot[edit]

text: On Christmas Eve, in 19th Century London, Charles Dickens (played by Gonzo the Great) and his friend Rizzo act as narrators throughout the film. Ebenezer Scrooge, a surly money-lender, does not share the merriment of Christmas. Scrooge rejects his nephew Fred's invitation to Christmas dinner, dismisses two gentlemen's collecting money for charity, and tosses a wreath at a carol singing Bean Bunny. His loyal employee Bob Cratchit (played by Kermit the Frog) and the other bookkeepers request to have Christmas Day off since there will be no business for Scrooge on the day, to which he reluctantly agrees. Scrooge leaves for home while the bookkeepers celebrate Christmas. In his house, Scrooge encounters the ghosts of his late business partners Jacob and Robert Marley (played by Statler and Waldorf), who warn him to repent his wicked ways or he will be condemned in the afterlife like they were, informing him that three spirits will visit him during the night.

tag: p

text: At one o'clock, Scrooge is visited by the childlike Ghost of Christmas Past who takes him back in time to his childhood and early adult life, Dickens and Rizzo hitching a ride too. They visit his lonely school days, and then his time as an employee under Fozziwig (Mr. Fezziwig from the original story, played by Fozzie Bear), who owned a rubber chicken factory. Fozziwig and his mother throw a Christmas party, Scrooge attends and meets a young woman named Belle, whom he falls in love with. However, the Ghost shows Scrooge how Belle left him when he chose money over her. A tearful Scrooge dismisses the Ghost as he returns to the present.

text: At two o'clock, Scrooge meets the gigantic, merry Ghost of Christmas Present who shows him the joys and wonder of Christmas Day. Scrooge and the Ghost visit Fred’s house where Scrooge is made fun of. Scrooge and the spirit then visit Bob Cratchit’s house, learning his family is surprisingly content with their small dinner, Scrooge taking pity on Bob's ill son Tiny Tim (played by Robin the Frog). The Ghost of Christmas Present abruptly ages, commenting that Tiny Tim will likely not survive until next Christmas. Scrooge and the Ghost go to a cemetery, where the latter fades away, informing Scrooge that the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come will arrive shortly. A fog fills the cemetery, revealing the third Ghost, who appears as a tall, silent cloaked figure. While Dickens and Rizzo abandon the audience to avoid being frightened, the Ghost takes Scrooge into the future.

text: Scrooge and the Ghost witness a group of businessmen discussing the death of an unnamed colleague where they would only attend the funeral if lunch is provided. In a den, Scrooge recognizes his charwoman, his laundress, and the local undertaker trading several stolen possessions of the deceased to a fence named Old Joe. The Ghost transports Scrooge to Bob's house, discovering Tiny Tim has died. Scrooge is escorted back to the cemetery, where the Ghost points out his own grave, revealing Scrooge was the man who died. Realizing this, Scrooge decides to change his ways.

text: Awakening in his bedroom on Christmas Day, Scrooge decides to surprise Bob's family with a turkey dinner, and ventures out with Bean, Dickens, Rizzo, and the charity workers to spread happiness and joy around London. Scrooge goes to the Cratchit house, at first putting on a stern demeanor, but reveals he intends on raising Bob's salary and pay off his mortgage. Dickens narrates how Scrooge became a secondary father to Tiny Tim, who escaped death. Scrooge, the Cratchits, and the neighborhood celebrate Christmas.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge
Steven Mackintosh as Fred, Ebenezer Scrooge's nephew.
Meredith Braun as Belle, Scrooge's neglected fiancée.
Robin Weaver as Clara, Ebenezer Scrooge's niece-in-law and Fred's wife.
Jessica Fox as Ghost of Christmas Past (voice)
David Shaw Parker as Old Joe (voice)
Edward Sanders, Theo Sanders, Kristopher Milnes, Russell Martin, and Ray Coulthard as Young Scrooge
Anthony Hamblin as Boy #1
Fergus Brazier as Boy #2

tag: ul

text: Muppet performers[edit]

text:
Performer
Muppet character
A Christmas Carol character

Dave Goelz
The Great Gonzo
Charles Dickens and Narrator

Waldorf
Robert Marley

Dr. Bunsen Honeydew
Charity collector

Original
Betina Crachit

Steve Whitmire
Kermit the Frog
Bob Cratchit

Rizzo the Rat
Co-narrator

Beaker
Charity collector

Bean Bunny
"It's Christmas Day!" boy

Original
Belinda Crachit

Jerry Nelson
Robin the Frog
Tiny Tim Cratchit

Statler
Jacob Marley

Ma Bear
Ma Fozziwig

Original
Ghost of Christmas Present (face and voice performance)

Frank Oz
Miss Piggy
Emily Cratchit

Fozzie Bear
Fozziwig

Sam Eagle
Schoolmaster

Animal
Fozziwig party entertainer

David Rudman
Original
Peter Cratchit

Old Joe (puppeteer only)

The Swedish Chef
Fozziwig party cook

Karen Prell
Original
Ghost of Christmas Past (puppeteer only)

Robert Tygner
Originals
Ghost of Christmas Past (puppeteer only)

Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (puppeteer only)

William Todd-Jones
Original
Ghost of Christmas Past (puppeteer only)

Don Austen
Originals
Ghost of Christmas Present (in-suit performer)

Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (in-suit performer)

text: Production[edit]

text: Following Jim Henson's death in 1990, talent agent Bill Haber approached his son Brian with the idea of filming an adaptation. Haber told Henson that "Christmas Carol is the greatest story of all time, you should do that" and later informed Henson that he sold the idea to ABC as a television movie.[5] Longtime Muppets writer Jerry Juhl was hired to write the script and decided to insert Charles Dickens as the stand-in narrator in order to remain faithful to the original prose of the written material.[6] Henson stated that Gonzo was chosen because he was the least likely choice to play Charles Dickens,[7] while Rizzo the Rat was added to inject some humor and serve as a Greek chorus.[8] Established Muppet characters were initially written to portray the ghosts, with various accounts stating Robin the Frog or Scooter was to be the Ghost of Christmas Past, Miss Piggy to be the Ghost of Christmas Present, and Gonzo (before he was written to portray Dickens) or Animal as the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.[5][7] However, the idea was scrapped in favor of new Muppet characters that would better underline the ominous nature.[8] After the script was submitted for approval to ABC, the executives of Walt Disney Pictures offered to purchase the script for a feature film instead of a television movie.[7]

text: English actors David Hemmings, Ron Moody, and David Warner and comedian George Carlin were considered to portray Ebenezer Scrooge.[9] Henson later offered the role to Michael Caine, who agreed to the role on condition that "I'm going to play this movie like I’m working with the Royal Shakespeare Company. I will never wink, I will never do anything Muppety. I am going to play Scrooge as if it is an utterly dramatic role and there are no puppets around me."[5] Production took place at the Shepperton Studios, England.[10] During filming, in order to allow for the Muppets and the human actors to be in the shot, floors had to be removed and re-inserted, with Michael Caine having to walk across narrow planks between the Muppets and their performers.[11] Additionally, the buildings in the London street scenes were constructed by hand but diminished in size in order to achieve the appearance that the streets were relatively longer. When the musical sequence "It Feels Like Christmas" ends with the crane shot, the short buildings became visibly seen in the background, in which Brian Henson explained on the DVD audio commentary that they were aware of the problem during shooting, but eventually decided that the closing shot was worth it as they believed not many people would notice the error.[11]

text: Release[edit]

text: Box office[edit]

text: Disney appeared to have high expectations for the film, being their widest-released film of the holiday season and the second widest release under the Walt Disney Pictures banner that year.[12] However, the film opened in sixth place initially reported to have collected $5.9 million in box office estimates,[13] which was later revised to have grossed $5 million.[14] Ultimately, The Muppet Christmas Carol grossed a total of $27,281,507 domestically.[3] Despite being a modest box office success, The Muppet Christmas Carol did not make much of an impact during its theatrical release, having to face competition from Home Alone 2: Lost in New York and Disney's Aladdin.

text: Critical response[edit]

text: The film received mostly favorable reviews from critics.[15] Janet Maslin, reviewing for The New York Times, summarized the film as not a "great show of wit or tunefulness here, and the ingenious cross-generational touches are fairly rare. But there is a lively kiddie version of the Dickens tale, one that very young viewers ought to understand."[16] Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert, who gave the film three stars out of four, praised the technical achievements, but felt it "could have done with a few more songs than it has, and the merrymaking at the end might have been carried on a little longer, just to offset the gloom of most of Scrooge's tour through his lifetime spent spreading misery."[17] On the television program Siskel & Ebert, his partner Chicago Tribune film critic Gene Siskel gave the film a Thumbs Down although he was favorable towards Michael Caine's performance.[18] Also from The Chicago Tribune, Dave Kehr reviewed the film as "a talky, plodding film that seems likely to bore children and adults in equal measure." Nevertheless, Kehr praised Val Strazovec's production design and John Fenner's cinematography believing its "shadowy, naturalistic lighting creates a new look for a puppet film", but derided Paul Williams's songs as unmemorable.[19] Likewise, Variety praised the production design and criticized Williams's songs, writing Muppets Christmas Carol is "not as enchanting or amusing as the previous entries in the Muppet series. But nothing can really diminish the late Jim Henson's irresistibly appealing characters.[20] Giving the film three stars out of five, Almar Haflidason of BBC wrote the film is "liberal but fun adaptation of a classic" that "turns out to be quite touching as Muppet movies go. Less pleasing are the forgettable songs that offer both clumsy word construction and dire music that eats away at the aesthetic quality of the movie. But you'll be too busy looking out for the assorted Muppets to care much."[21] On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Muppet Christmas Carol has a 73% approval rating, based on 40 reviews, with a rating average of 6.5 out of 10. The critical consensus states "It may not be the finest version of Charles Dickens' tale to grace the screen, but The Muppet Christmas Carol is funny and heartwarming and serves as a good introduction to the story for young viewers."[22]

text: Home media[edit]

text: This is the first Muppet film co-produced and released by Walt Disney Pictures—and the rights to the Muppets featured in the film would later be purchased by the studio's parent company. Other than the film's theatrical releases, the film has also been made available on home video formats. It was released on VHS in the US on November 5, 1993, in the UK on November 19 and twice on DVD in Region 1. The first DVD release on October 8, 2002, was in a fullscreen-only format. Walt Disney Home Entertainment re-released the film on DVD on November 29, 2005, in conjunction with Kermit the Frog's 50th-anniversary celebration; this time the DVD contained both full-screen and widescreen presentations. The film was also released in Region 2.

text: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released a "20th Anniversary Collector's Edition" on Blu-ray, DVD, and digital copy on November 6, 2012.[23] The release doesn't include the film's extended cut. However, the song "When Love Is Gone" and its accompanying scene can be viewed in its complete entirety on the full screen version of the Anniversary edition of The Muppet Christmas Carol, though it is cut in the widescreen format. [24]

text: Music[edit]

text: The film's original score was composed by Miles Goodman with songs written by Paul Williams. Williams previously worked with the Muppets on the soundtrack to The Muppet Movie (1979) in which he and Kenneth Ascher were nominated for an Academy Award for writing "Rainbow Connection". Goodman previously scored several films that were directed by Muppet performer Frank Oz.[25]

text: Soundtrack[edit]

text:
The Muppet Christmas Carol: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Soundtrack album by The Muppets

Released
1992

Genre
Soundtrack

Label
Jim Henson

The Muppets chronology

The Muppets Take Manhattan: Original Soundtrack
(1984)The Muppets Take Manhattan: Original Soundtrack1984
The Muppet Christmas Carol: Original Soundtrack
(1992)
Muppet Treasure Island: Original Soundtrack
(1996)Muppet Treasure Island: Original Soundtrack1996

text:
Professional ratings

Review scores

Source
Rating

AllMusic
 [26]

text: The Muppet Christmas Carol: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack contains all of the songs from the film, which were written by Paul Williams, as well several cues from the score by Miles Goodman. The performances are by the Muppet characters as well as Caine, and the album also includes the songs "Room in Your Heart" and "Chairman of the Board" that were recorded but never filmed. As with all Muppet films (except Muppets from Space, (1999), The Muppet Christmas Carol was shot as a musical. The soundtrack album peaked at number 189 on the Billboard 200 chart. The soundtrack was digitally re-released by Walt Disney Records on November 6, 2012.

text: "When Love Is Gone"[edit]

text: "When Love Is Gone" was a song performed by the character Belle (portrayed by Meredith Braun) as she laments that Scrooge's love for money has replaced his love for her. The song itself was cut from the original 1992 theatrical edition by Jeffrey Katzenberg of Walt Disney Studios, who believed that the following scene would not appeal to young children. Instead, the song was played during the end credits scene.[27] Henson objected to this decision. The concluding song, "The Love We Found", is a direct counterpoint to it.[11]

text: Director Brian Henson commented: "When Love Is Gone" was not in the theatrical release, and is presently missing from some copies of the movie, which is a real shame. The song "When Love Is Gone" is only included on some home media releases of The Muppet Christmas Carol which are now out of print.

text: The song is included on the 1993 VHS and LaserDisc releases.[28] The LaserDisc version includes the only widescreen presentation of this song ever released.[29]

text: The 2002 and 2005 DVD releases do retain the song, but only in the full-screen version of the film. A 2012 standalone DVD release of the film uses the same disc from the 2005 release, so it also contains the song. However, a different DVD was used for the 2012 Blu-ray combo pack which does not contain the song.[30]

text: The VHS, LaserDisc and select DVD releases are the only way to view The Muppet Christmas Carol on home video along with the scene intact.