Listed below are the dates and results for the 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the African zone (CAF). For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification.
A total of 26 CAF teams entered the competition. The African Zone was allocated 1 place (out of 16) in the final tournament.
There would be five rounds of play:
- Preliminary Round, First Round, Second Round and Third Round: In each of these rounds, the teams were paired up to play knockout matches on a home-and-away basis. The winners would advance to the next round, until there would be 3 teams left.
- Final Round: The 3 teams would play against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winner would qualify.
Preliminary round
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Sierra Leone  | 6–3 |  Niger | 5–1 | 1–2 |
Upper Volta  | 3–1 | .svg.png){kind=small} Mauritania | 1–1 | 2–0 |
| 7 March 1976 | Sierra Leone | 5 – 1 | Niger | Freetown, Sierra Leone |
Dumbuya  37', 68'Sounomu 57', 66'Tray 70' | Adamou 17' | Stadium: National Stadium Attendance: 4,250 Referee: Aguiahr Komla Barto (Togo) |
| 21 March 1976 | Niger | 2 – 1 | Sierra Leone | Niamey, Niger |
| Seydou 36' Kanfideni 52' | Sango 37' | Stadium: Stade du 29 Juillet Attendance: 5,641 Referee: Thompson Shakirudeen Badru (Nigeria) |
Sierra Leone won 6–3 on agg. and advanced to the First Round.
| 13 March 1976 | Upper Volta | 1 – 1 | Mauritania | Ouagadougou, Upper Volta |
| Kaboré 44' | Coulibaly 68' (pen.) | Stadium: Stade Municipal Attendance: 3,323 Referee: Adamou Mamoudou (Niger) |
| 28 March 1976 | Mauritania | 0 – 2 | Upper Volta | Nouakchott, Mauritania |
| Zoma 32' Ouattara 52' | Stadium: Stade de la Capitale Attendance: 1,782 Referee: Mody Ba (Mali) |
Upper Volta won 3–1 on agg. and advanced to the First Round.
First round
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg | 3rd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Algeria  | 1–0 | .svg.png){kind=small} Libya | 1–0 | 0–0 | |
Morocco  | 2–2 (2–4 p) | .svg.png){kind=small} Tunisia | 1–1 | 1–1 | |
Togo  | 2–1 |  Senegal | 1–0 | 1–1 | |
Ghana  | 3–5 |  Guinea | 2–1 | 1–2 | 0–2 |
| Sierra Leone | 2–6 |  Nigeria | 0–0 | 2–6 | |
Congo-Brazzaville  | 4–2 |  Cameroon | 2–2 | 2–0 | |
| Upper Volta | 1–3 |  Ivory Coast | 1–1 | 0–2 | |
Egypt .svg.png){kind=small} | 5–1 | .svg.png){kind=small} Ethiopia | 3–0 | 2–1 | |
Zambia .svg.png){kind=small} | 5–0 |  Malawi | 4–0 | 1–0 | |
Zaire  | w/o |  Central African Republic | — | — | |
Kenya  | w/o |  Sudan | — | — | |
Uganda  | w/o |  Tanzania | — | — |
| 1 April 1976 | Algeria | 1 – 0 | Libya | Algiers, Algeria |
| Betrouni 83' | Stadium: 5 July Stadium Attendance: 15,267 Referee: Jean Dubach (Switzerland) |
| 16 April 1976 | Libya | 0 – 0 | Algeria | Tripoli, Libya |
| Stadium: 11 June Stadium Attendance: 30,000 Referee: Emilio Guruceta Muro (Spain) |
Algeria won 1–0 on agg. and advanced to the Second Round.
| 12 December 1976 | Morocco | 1 – 1 | Tunisia | Casablanca, Morocco |
| Lakhal 35' | Dhiab 56' | Stadium: Stade Père Jégo Attendance: 13,056 Referee: Wöhrer (Austria) |
| 9 January 1977 | Tunisia | 1 – 1 (a.e.t.) (4 – 2 p) | Morocco | Tunis, Tunisia |
| Labidi 34' | Tahir 55' | Stadium: Stade El Menzah Attendance: 44,500 Referee: Hungerbühler (Switzerland) |
The aggregate score was tied 2–2, but Tunisia won 4–2 on penalties in the second leg to advance to the Second Round. This was the first penalty shootout in a World Cup match.[1]
| 17 October 1976 | Togo | 1 – 0 | Senegal | Lomé, Togo |
| Rachidou 87' | Stadium: Stade Général Eyadema Attendance: 5,173 Referee: Dwomoh (Ghana) |
| 31 October 1976 | Senegal | 1 – 1 | Togo | Dakar, Senegal |
| Ba 63' | Afanou 58' | Stadium: Stade Demba Diop Attendance: 7,000 Referee: Abdelali (Morocco) |
Togo won 2–1 on agg. and advanced to the Second Round.
| 10 October 1976 | Ghana | 2 – 1 | Guinea | Accra, Ghana |
| Kassum 57' Afriyle 83' | Y. Camara 52' | Stadium: Accra Sports Stadium Attendance: 10,000 Referee: Koudou (Ivory Coast) |
| 31 October 1976 | Guinea | 2 – 1 (a.e.t.) | Ghana | Conakry, Guinea |
| Papa Camara 51' Keita 56' | Ansah 59' | Stadium: Stade du 28 Septembre Attendance: 20,000 Referee: Aouissi (Algeria) |
The aggregate score was tied 3–3, and a play-off on neutral ground was played to decide who would advance to the Second Round.
| 16 January 1977 | Ghana | 0 – 2 | Guinea | Lomé, Togo |
| Papa Camara 3' S. Sylla 31' | Stadium: Stade Général Eyadema Attendance: 13,482 Referee: N'diaye (Senegal) |
Guinea advanced to the Second Round, via the play-off.
| 16 October 1976 | Sierra Leone | 0 – 0 | Nigeria | Freetown, Sierra Leone |
| Stadium: Reckrie Stadium Attendance: 5,173 Referee: Turkson (Ghana) |
| 30 October 1976 | Nigeria | 6 – 2 | Sierra Leone | Lagos, Nigeria |
| Odegbami 25' Atuegbu 31', 34'Usiyan 40'Emeteole 63'Awesu 77' | Dyfan 74' Sama 88' (pen.) | Stadium: Surulere Stadium Attendance: 25,996 Referee: Matovu (Tanzania) |
Nigeria won 6–2 on agg. and advanced to the Second Round.
| 17 October 1976 | Congo-Brazzaville | 2 – 2 | Cameroon | Brazzaville, Congo-Brazzaville |
| Mounoudzi 66' (pen.) Wamba 76' | Milla 11' Onguene 35' | Stadium: Stade de la Revolution Attendance: 17,367 Referee: Gumboh (Zambia) |
| 31 October 1976 | Cameroon | 0 – 2 Awarded[2] (1 – 2 82') | Congo-Brazzaville | Yaoundé, Cameroon |
| Milla 7' | Ebomoa 19' N'Domba 52' | Stadium: Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo Attendance: 26,050 Referee: Housainou N'Jai (Gambia) |
Congo-Brazzaville won 4–2 on agg. and advanced to the Second Round.
| 4 September 1976 | Upper Volta | 1 – 1 | Ivory Coast | Ouagadougou, Upper Volta |
| Kaboré 70' | Bawa 36' | Stadium: Stade Municipal Attendance: 5,418 Referee: N'diaye (Senegal) |
| 26 September 1976 | Ivory Coast | 2 – 0 | Upper Volta | Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire |
| Kouame 17' Kouman 34' | Stadium: Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny Attendance: 5,960 Referee: Diagne (Guinea) |
Côte d'Ivoire won 3–1 on agg. and advanced to the Second Round.
| 29 October 1976 | Egypt | 3 – 0 | Ethiopia | Cairo, Egypt |
| El Khatib 4', 19', 77' | Stadium: Nasser Stadium Attendance: 120,000 Referee: Gianfranco Menegali (Italy) |
| 14 November 1976 | Ethiopia | 1 – 2 | Egypt | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia |
| Kassahun 40' | El Khatib 12', 73' | Stadium: Addis Ababa Stadium Attendance: 150,000 Referee: Wurtz (France) |
Egypt won 5–1 on agg. and advanced to the Second Round.
| 9 May 1976 | Zambia | 4 – 0 | Malawi | Lusaka, Zambia |
| Chanda 4' Phiri 12', 75'Chamangwana 88' (o.g.) | Stadium: 7 April Stadium Attendance: 16,000 Referee: Muamba Kabwe (Zaire) |
| 30 May 1976 | Malawi | 0 – 1 | Zambia | Blantyre, Malawi |
| Kapita 48' | Stadium: Kamuzu Stadium Attendance: 8,230 Referee: Charles Randrianaly (Madagascar) |
Zambia won 5–0 on agg. and advanced to the Second Round.
| Zaire | w/o | Central African Republic | ||
| Withdrew |
Central African Republic withdrew, so Zaire advanced to the Second Round automatically.
Sudan withdrew, so Kenya advanced to the Second Round automatically.
Tanzania withdrew, so Uganda advanced to the Second Round automatically.
Second round
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tunisia | 3–1 | Algeria | 2–0 | 1–1 |
| Togo | 1–4 | Guinea | 0–2 | 1–2 |
| Ivory Coast | 6–3 | Congo-Brazzaville | 3–2 | 3–1 |
| Kenya | 0–1 | Egypt | 0–0 | 0–1 |
| Uganda | 3–4 | Zambia | 1–0 | 2–4 (aet) |
| Nigeria | w/o | Zaire | — | — |
| 6 February 1977 | Tunisia | 2 – 0 | Algeria | Tunis, Tunisia |
| Akid 56' Kaabi 73' | Stadium: Stade El Menzah Attendance: 39,987 Referee: Antoine Queudeville (Luxembourg) |
| 28 February 1977 | Algeria | 1 – 1 | Tunisia | Algiers, Algeria |
| Guendouz 34' | Jebali 89' | Stadium: 5 July stadium Attendance: 80,000 Referee: Paul Bonett (Malta) |
Tunisia won 3–1 on agg. and advanced to the Third Round.
| 13 February 1977 | Togo | 0 – 2 | Guinea | Lomé, Togo |
| Bangoura 15' Souleymane 84' | Stadium: Stade Général Eyadema Attendance: 7,976 Referee: Felix Balloux (Ivory Coast) |
| 27 February 1977 | Guinea | 2 – 1 | Togo | Conakry, Guinea |
| Papa Camara 36' Tollo 40' (pen.) | Ametepé 55' | Stadium: Stade du 28 Septembre Attendance: 35,000 Referee: Tanor Dieng (Senegal) |
Guinea won 4–1 on agg. and advanced to the Third Round.
| 13 February 1977 | Ivory Coast | 3 – 2 | Congo-Brazzaville | Bouaké, Ivory Coast |
| G'Bize 10' Mamahou 20'Kouman 81' | Bahamboula 36' N'Domba 89' | Stadium: Municipal Stadium Attendance: 3,600 Referee: Dwomoh (Ghana) |
| 27 February 1977 | Congo-Brazzaville | 1 – 3 | Ivory Coast | Brazzaville, Congo-Brazzaville |
| Lingongo 23' | Kouman 10' Miézan 38'G'Bize 82' | Stadium: Stade de la Révolution Attendance: 70,000 Referee: Festus Okubule (Nigeria) |
Ivory Coast won 6–3 on agg. and advanced to the Third Round.
| 6 February 1977 | Kenya | 0 – 0 | Egypt | Nairobi, Kenya |
| Stadium: Nairobi City Stadium Attendance: 8,337 Referee: Ahmed Jama (Somalia) |
| 27 February 1977 | Egypt | 1 – 0 | Kenya | Cairo, Egypt |
| Khalil 13' | Stadium: Nasser Stadium Attendance: 70,000 Referee: El-Ghoul (Libya) |
Egypt won 1–0 on agg. and advanced to the Third Round.
| 13 February 1977 | Uganda | 1 – 0 | Zambia | Kampala, Uganda |
| Ouma 73' | Stadium: Nakivubo Stadium Attendance: 11,940 Referee: Ismael Yusuf Kemal (Ethiopia) |
| 27 February 1977 | Zambia | 4 – 2 (a.e.t.) | Uganda | Ndola, Zambia |
| Chola 28' Chanda 34'Chitalu 85', 106' | Nasur 14' Obua 74' | Stadium: Dag Hammarskjöld Stadium Attendance: 120,000 Referee: Gratian Matovu (Tanzania) |
Zambia won 4–3 on agg. and advanced to the Third Round.
Zaire withdrew, so Nigeria advanced to the Third Round automatically.
Third round
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guinea | 2–3 | Tunisia | 1–0 | 1–3 |
| Nigeria | 6–2 | Ivory Coast | 4–0 | 2–2 |
| Egypt | 2–0 | Zambia | 2–0 | 0–0 |
| 5 June 1977 | Guinea | 1 – 0 | Tunisia | Conakry, Guinea |
| I. Sylla 77' | Stadium: Stade du 28 Septembre Attendance: 25,000 Referee: Mohamed Larache (Morocco) |
| 19 June 1977 | Tunisia | 3 – 1 | Guinea | Tunis, Tunisia |
| Liman 9' Lahzami 59'Khouini 62' | A. Sylla 11' | Stadium: Stade El Menzah Attendance: 35,248 Referee: Hussein Fahmy Bahig (Egypt) |
Tunisia won 3–2 on agg. and advanced to the Final Round.
| 10 July 1977 | Nigeria | 4 – 0 | Ivory Coast | Lagos, Nigeria |
| Usiyan 7', 30' Iwelumo 18'Ojebode 56' (pen.) | Stadium: Surulere Stadium Attendance: 29,815 Referee: Nyirenda Chayu (Zambia) |
| 25 July 1977 | Ivory Coast | 2 – 2 | Nigeria | Bouaké, Ivory Coast |
| Mamahou 37', 58' | Odegbami 74' Amiesimaka 89' | Stadium: Municipal Stadium Attendance: 2,040 Referee: Youssou N'Diaye (Senegal) |
Nigeria won 6–2 on agg. and advanced to the Final Round.
| 15 July 1977 | Egypt | 2 – 0 | Zambia | Cairo, Egypt |
| Gaafar 29' Hammam 49' | Stadium: Nasser Stadium Attendance: 135,746 Referee: Alberto Michelotti (Italy) |
| 31 July 1977 | Zambia | 0 – 0 | Egypt | Lusaka, Zambia |
| Stadium: 7 April Stadium Attendance: 130,165 Referee: Gordon (Scotland) |
Egypt won 2–0 on agg. and advanced to the Final Round.
Final round
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tunisia | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 4 | +3 |
| 2 | Egypt | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 11 | −4 |
| 3 | Nigeria | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 4 | +1 |
Tunisia qualified.
Goalscorers
- 6 goals
- 4 goals
- 3 goals
- 2 goals
- 1 goal
- 1 own goal
See also
- 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification
- 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
- 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF)
- 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)
- 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC and OFC)
Notes
- ^ Communications Division (27 July 2007). "History of the FIFA World Cup Preliminary Competition (by year)" (PDF). Good to Know. FIFA. p. 22. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 June 2010. Retrieved 5 May 2009.
- ^ The second leg was abandoned in the 82nd minute due to riots, and subsequently FIFA awarded a 2–0 victory to Congo.
External links
- 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF) at FIFA.com