1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC)
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 16 September 1996 – 29 November 1997 | 
| Teams | 10 (from 1 confederation) | 
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 22 | 
| Goals scored | 85 (3.86 per match) | 
| Attendance | 99,533 (4,524 per match) | 
| Top scorer(s) |  Noel Berry (7 goals) | 
| ← 1994  2002 →  | |
| OFC Qualifiers | 
|---|
Listed below are the dates and results for the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the Oceanian zone (OFC). For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification.
A total of 10 teams entered the competition. The Oceanian zone was allocated 0.5 places (out of 32) in the final tournament.
Format
There would be three rounds of play:
- First round: Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tahiti, the four best ranked teams according to FIFA, received byes and advanced to the second round directly. The remaining six teams were divided into two groups of three teams each, namely the Melanesian group and the Polynesian group, based on geographical considerations. The teams played against each other once. The winner of the Melanesian group advanced to the second round. The runner-up of the Melanesian group and the winner of the Polynesian group advanced to the first round play-off. In the play-off, they played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The winner advanced to the second round.
- Second round: The six teams were divided into two groups of three teams each. The teams played against each other twice. The group winners advanced to the final round.
- Final round: The two teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The winner advanced to the AFC–OFC inter-confederation play-off.
First round
Melanesian group
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |   |   |   | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Papua New Guinea | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 4 | Second round | — | 1–1 | 2–1 | |
| 2 |  Solomon Islands | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | Play-off | — | — | 1–1 | |
| 3 |  Vanuatu | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 1 | — | — | — | 
Source: [1]
 | Papua New Guinea  | 1–1 |  Solomon Islands | 
|---|---|---|
| Daniel  15' | Report | Rukumana  71' | 
| Solomon Islands  | 1–1 |  Vanuatu | 
|---|---|---|
| Berry  16' | Report | Naukoot  37' | 
| Papua New Guinea  | 2–1 |  Vanuatu | 
|---|---|---|
| Furigi  88' Karang  89' | Report | Garo  27' | 
Polynesian group
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |   |   |   | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Tonga | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 6 | Play-off | — | 1–0 | 2–0 | |
| 2 |  Western Samoa | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | — | — | 2–1 | ||
| 3 |  Cook Islands | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 0 | — | — | — | 
Source: [1]
 | Tonga  | 2–0 |  Cook Islands | 
|---|---|---|
| Moleni  20', 67' | Report | 
| Western Samoa  | 2–1 |  Cook Islands | 
|---|---|---|
| Tapunuu  10' Palusami  20' | Report | Stenter  68' | 
| Tonga  | 1–0 |  Western Samoa | 
|---|---|---|
| Vane  29' | Report | 
Play-off
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tonga   | 0–13 |  Solomon Islands | 0–4 | 0–9 | 
| Tonga  | 0–4 |  Solomon Islands | 
|---|---|---|
| Report | Kiriau  34' Seni  73' Berry  85' Peli  87' | 
| Solomon Islands  | 9–0 |  Tonga | 
|---|---|---|
| Berry  3', 41', 57' Rukumana  12' Wabo  37' Seni  61', 63', 74' Kiriau  66' | Report | 
Solomon Islands won 13–0 on aggregate and advanced to the second round.
Second round
Group 1
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | .svg.png)  |   |   | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | .svg.png) Australia | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 2 | +24 | 12 | Final round | — | 13–0 | 5–0 | |
| 2 |  Solomon Islands | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 21 | −14 | 4 | 2–6 | — | 4–1 | ||
| 3 |  Tahiti | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 12 | −10 | 1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | — | 
Source: [1]
 | Australia .svg.png) | 13–0 |  Solomon Islands | 
|---|---|---|
| Mori  2', 15', 36', 65', 80' Aloisi  33', 53', 81', 86', 87' Foster  68' Tapai  78' Bosnich  88' (pen.) | Report | 
| Solomon Islands  | 4–1 |  Tahiti | 
|---|---|---|
| Seni  37' Berry  39', 80' Toata  89' | Report | Ludivion  82' | 
| Solomon Islands  | 2–6 | .svg.png) Australia | 
|---|---|---|
| Peli  59' Suri  65' | Report | Slater  15' Arnold  17' Kaierea  38' (o.g.) Tapai  47', 51' Vidmar  75' (pen.) | 
| Tahiti  | 1–1 |  Solomon Islands | 
|---|---|---|
| Rousseau  38' | Report | Kwaomae  43' | 
Group 2
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |   |   |   | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  New Zealand | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 1 | +12 | 9 | Final round | — | 5–0 | 7–0 | |
| 2 |  Fiji | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 | −3 | 6 | 0–1 | — | 3–1 | ||
| 3 |  Papua New Guinea | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 11 | −9 | 3 | 1–0 | 0–1 | — | 
Source: [1]
 | Papua New Guinea  | 1–0 |  New Zealand | 
|---|---|---|
| Niakuam  80' | Report | 
| Fiji  | 0–1 |  New Zealand | 
|---|---|---|
| Report | Jackson  80' (pen.) | 
| New Zealand  | 7–0 |  Papua New Guinea | 
|---|---|---|
| Coveny  10', 13', 67' Rufer  22', 31' Elliott  40' Stevens  80' | Report | 
| Fiji  | 3–1 |  Papua New Guinea | 
|---|---|---|
| Pita  22' Masinisau  26' Duguga  89' | (report) | Waiwai  68' | 
| New Zealand  | 5–0 |  Fiji | 
|---|---|---|
| Rufer  17', 77' Coveny  63' Viljoen  80' van Steeden  85' | Report | 
| Papua New Guinea  | 0–1 |  Fiji | 
|---|---|---|
| (report) | Driu  1' | 
Final round
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand   | 0–5 | .svg.png) Australia | 0–3 | 0–2 | 
|          New Zealand |          Australia | 
| Australia .svg.png) | 2–0 |  New Zealand | 
|---|---|---|
| Zelić  6' Arnold  54' | Report | 
|          Australia |          New Zealand | 
Australia won 5–0 on aggregate and advanced to the AFC–OFC inter-confederation play-off.
Inter-confederation play-off
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iran   | 3–3 (a) | .svg.png) Australia | 1–1 | 2–2 | 
Goalscorers
There were 85 goals scored in 22 matches, for an average of 3.86 goals per match.
7 goals
6 goals
5 goals
.svg.png) Damian Mori Damian Mori
 Robert Seni Robert Seni
4 goals
3 goals
2 goals
.svg.png) Craig Foster Craig Foster
.svg.png) Ned Zelic Ned Zelic
 George Kiriau George Kiriau
 Augustine Peli Augustine Peli
 Eddie Rukumana Eddie Rukumana
 Timote Moleni Timote Moleni
1 goal
.svg.png) Mark Bosnich Mark Bosnich
.svg.png) Matthew Bingley Matthew Bingley
.svg.png) Robbie Slater Robbie Slater
 Mani Stenter Mani Stenter
 Solome Pita Solome Pita
 Esala Masinisau Esala Masinisau
 Liuai Duguga Liuai Duguga
 Alivate Driu Alivate Driu
 Chris Jackson Chris Jackson
 Simon Elliott Simon Elliott
 Tim Stevens Tim Stevens
 Riki van Steeden Riki van Steeden
 Nik Viljoen Nik Viljoen
 Richard Daniel Richard Daniel
 Batman Furigi Batman Furigi
 Roy Karang Roy Karang
 Francis Niakuam Francis Niakuam
 Wesley Waiwai Wesley Waiwai
 Michael Junior Palusami Michael Junior Palusami
 T. Tapunuu T. Tapunuu
 Jeffrey Kwaomae Jeffrey Kwaomae
 Batram Suri Batram Suri
 Moses Toata Moses Toata
 Danny Wabo Danny Wabo
 Jean Ludivion Jean Ludivion
 Jean-Loup Rousseau Jean-Loup Rousseau
 Tolutau Vane Tolutau Vane
 Reginal Garo Reginal Garo
 Iau Tuan Naukoot Iau Tuan Naukoot
1 own goal
References
- ^ a b c d "FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC) 1998, football - table and standings". soccer365.me. Retrieved 10 May 2024.