Group 1 – Football Journey

Group 1. Italy was the favourite at a glance. Yes, Italy was always favourite, but this time she was a second-rate one. Not a prime candidate for the title. Lucky to draw an easy group. The promise shown at the 1978 World Cup was stilted. Enzo Bearzot preferred older players – this was already settled to the point of becoming a myth, for the selection was actually well balanced age-wise. True, the starters tended to be near 30.

Head coach: Enzo Bearzot

Dino Zoff (c)

28 February 1942 (aged 40)

Juventus

Franco Baresi

8 May 1960 (aged 22)

Milan

Giuseppe Bergomi

22 December 1963 (aged 18)

Internazionale

Antonio Cabrini

8 October 1957 (aged 24)

Juventus

Fulvio Collovati

9 May 1957 (aged 25)

Milan

Claudio Gentile

27 September 1953 (aged 28)

Juventus

Gaetano Scirea

25 May 1953 (aged 29)

Juventus

Pietro Vierchowod

6 April 1959 (aged 23)

Fiorentina

Giancarlo Antognoni

1 April 1954 (aged 28)

Fiorentina

Giuseppe Dossena

2 May 1958 (aged 24)

Torino

Giampiero Marini

25 February 1951 (aged 31)

Internazionale

Ivano Bordon

13 April 1951 (aged 31)

Internazionale

Gabriele Oriali

25 November 1952 (aged 29)

Internazionale

Marco Tardelli

24 September 1954 (aged 27)

Juventus

Franco Causio

1 February 1949 (aged 33)

Udinese

Bruno Conti

13 March 1955 (aged 27)

Roma

Daniele Massaro

23 May 1961 (aged 21)

Fiorentina

Alessandro Altobelli

28 November 1955 (aged 26)

Internazionale

Francesco Graziani

16 December 1952 (aged 29)

Fiorentina

Paolo Rossi

23 September 1956 (aged 25)

Juventus

Franco Selvaggi

15 May 1953 (aged 29)

Cagliari

Giovanni Galli

29 April 1958 (aged 24)

Fiorentina

Pros, cons, and trivia: the oldest player at the finals – Dino Zoff at 40. Numbers were given alphabetically by lines – except the goalkeepers. That is, defenders, midfielders, strikers. Iron defense, as ever, very competent players, team based on Juventus, excellent playmaker – Antognoni. On the negative side: Rossi, who was banned from playing for quite a long time, was probably a liability, Zoff had problems with long shots, suspect attack, lack of development after 1978, perhaps even going downhill. Expected to win the group, but reaching the semi-finals would depend largely on lucky draw. Bearzot lamented the absence of Bettega. A favourite, but unlikely champion.

Poland and Peru were expected to compete for the second place. Peru perhaps had the edge – based on their strong play at both 1970 and 1978 World Cups. Once again Brazilian coach plus few old hands with enormous experience, going back to 1970. A bright young star in attack – Uribe.

Head coach: Tim (Brazil)

Eusebio Acasuzo

8 April 1952 (aged 30)

Universitario

Jaime Duarte

27 February 1955 (aged 27)

Alianza Lima

Salvador Salguero

10 August 1951 (aged 30)

Alianza Lima

Hugo Gastulo

9 January 1958 (aged 24)

Universitario

Germán Leguía

2 January 1954 (aged 28)

Universitario

José Velásquez

4 June 1952 (aged 30)

Independiente Medellín

Gerónimo Barbadillo

24 September 1952 (aged 29)

UANL Tigres

César Cueto

16 June 1952 (aged 29)

Atlético Nacional

Julio César Uribe

9 May 1958 (aged 24)

Sporting Cristal

Teófilo Cubillas

8 March 1949 (aged 33)

Fort Lauderdale Strikers

Juan Carlos Oblitas

16 December 1951 (aged 30)

Seraing

José González

10 July 1954 (aged 27)

Alianza Lima

Oscar Arizaga

20 August 1957 (aged 24)

Atlético Chalaco

Miguel Gutiérrez

19 November 1956 (aged 25)

Sporting Cristal

Rubén Toribio Díaz (c)

17 April 1952 (aged 30)

Sporting Cristal

Jorge Olaechea

27 August 1956 (aged 25)

Alianza Lima

Franco Navarro

10 November 1961 (aged 20)

Deportivo Municipal

Eduardo Malásquez

13 October 1957 (aged 24)

Deportivo Municipal

Guillermo La Rosa

6 June 1952 (aged 30)

Atlético Nacional

Percy Rojas

16 September 1949 (aged 32)

Seraing

Ramón Quiroga

23 July 1950 (aged 31)

Sporting Cristal

Luis Reyna

06 May 1959 (aged 23)

Sporting Cristal

Chumpitaz was not selected – with this the sensational question how really old was he was buried. Very experienced squad, capable of rising to the occasion. Uribe was a major force to reckon with. But – rather weak defense, the key stars were beyond their prime and the presence of Cubillas, now 33, was questioned in Peru. The big names played abroad, but not in the leading countries: Velasquez, Cueto, and La Rosa in Colombia, Oblitas and Rojas in lowly Seraing, Belgium, and Cubillas – in the ‘graveyard’ of stars, NASL. Quiroga was a liability since the suspect match against Argentina in 1978. A lot depended on the fitness of Leguia and Uribe, both arriving at the finals with injuries.

Poland had a chance, depending largely on how Peru played – Poland was in decline, made obvious in 1978 and clearly had not a team similar to the one of 1974. Remains of the great team were the leading players, the backbone, of the current squad and they only got older. Maybe too old.

Head coach: Antoni Piechniczek

Józef Młynarczyk

20 September 1953 (aged 28)

Widzew Łódź

Marek Dziuba

19 December 1955 (aged 26)

ŁKS Łódź

Janusz Kupcewicz

9 December 1955 (aged 26)

Arka Gdynia

Tadeusz Dolny

7 May 1958 (aged 24)

Górnik Zabrze

Paweł Janas

4 March 1953 (aged 29)

Legia Warszawa

Piotr Skrobowski

16 October 1961 (aged 20)

Wisła Kraków

Jan Jałocha

18 July 1957 (aged 24)

Wisła Kraków

Waldemar Matysik

27 September 1961 (aged 20)

Górnik Zabrze

Władysław Żmuda (c)

6 June 1954 (aged 28)

Widzew Łódź

Stefan Majewski

31 January 1956 (aged 26)

Legia Warszawa

Włodzimierz Smolarek

16 July 1957 (aged 24)

Widzew Łódź

Roman Wójcicki

8 January 1958 (aged 24)

Śląsk Wrocław

Andrzej Buncol

21 September 1959 (aged 22)

Legia Warszawa

Andrzej Pałasz

22 July 1960 (aged 21)

Górnik Zabrze

Włodzimierz Ciołek

24 March 1956 (aged 26)

Stal Mielec

Grzegorz Lato

8 April 1950 (aged 32)

Lokeren

Andrzej Szarmach

3 October 1950 (aged 31)

Auxerre

Marek Kusto

29 April 1954 (aged 28)

Legia Warszawa

Andrzej Iwan

10 November 1959 (aged 22)

Wisła Kraków

Zbigniew Boniek

3 March 1956 (aged 26)

Widzew Łódź

Jacek Kazimierski

17 August 1959 (aged 22)

Legia Warszawa

Piotr Mowlik

21 April 1951 (aged 31)

Lech Poznań

Competent team with strong attacking line – Boniek, Iwan, Smolarek plus famous veterans Lato and Szarmach. If in form – lethal. Four players from the great 1974 squad – Lato, Szarmach, Zmuda, and Kusto (another one – Kapka – was dropped at the final selection). A whole bunch with 1978 experience. On the negative side was the sense that the team was disjointed – rather ordinary goalkeepers, defense largely dependent on the veteran Zmuda, so-so midfield, and crowded attack, which may place young Iwan and Smolarek on the bench. Clear absence of capable playmaker. As a novelty – the famous veterans kept the numbers they became famous with in 1974: Zmuda – 9, an anomaly for a central defender, Lato – 16, Szarmach – 17. Only Kusto had a different number – 22 in 1974, 18 in 1982 – but he was a reserve 8 years earlier. And so he was now. Piechniczek declared that his team is young, but stronger than the 1974 one – his statement sounded strange.

Cameroon was the outsider. Nobody expected anything from the unknown team – yes, Tunisia played well in 1978, but Cameroon was coming from ‘black’ Africa, so Zaire – and its pathetic performance – was invoked. In any case, the team was entirely unknown – yes, 5 players were professionals abroad, but only Tokoto was familiar name and now he was 34, playing in North America.

Head coach: Jean Vincent

Thomas N’Kono (c)

20 July 1956 (aged 25)

Canon Yaoundé

Michel Kaham

1 June 1952 (aged 30)

Stade Quimperois

Edmond Enoka

17 December 1955 (aged 26)

Dragon Douala

René N’Djeya

9 October 1953 (aged 28)

Union Douala

Elie Onana

13 October 1958 (aged 23)

Federal Foumban

Emmanuel Kundé

15 July 1956 (aged 25)

Canon Yaoundé

Ephrem M’Bom

19 October 1955 (aged 26)

Canon Yaoundé

Grégoire M’Bida

27 January 1955 (aged 27)

Canon Yaoundé

Roger Milla

20 May 1952 (aged 30)

Bastia

Jean-Pierre Tokoto

26 January 1948 (aged 34)

Philadelphia Fever

Charles Toubé

22 January 1958 (aged 24)

Tonnerre Yaoundé

Joseph-Antoine Bell

8 October 1954 (aged 27)

Africa Sports

Paul Bahoken

7 July 1955 (aged 26)

Cannes

Théophile Abega

9 July 1954 (aged 27)

Canon Yaoundé

François N’Doumbé

30 January 1954 (aged 28)

Union Douala

Ibrahim Aoudou

23 August 1955 (aged 26)

Cannes

Joseph Kamga

17 August 1953 (aged 28)

Union Douala

Jacques N’Guea

8 November 1955 (aged 26)

Canon Yaoundé

Joseph Enanga

18 November 1956 (aged 25)

Union Douala

Oscar Eyobo

23 October 1961 (aged 20)

Dynamo Douala

Ernest Ebongué

15 May 1962 (aged 20)

Tonnerre Yaoundé

Simon Tchobang

31 August 1951 (aged 30)

Dynamo Douala

The debutantes had nothing in their favour. They even changed their head coach – again with European, but more famous – at least as a player – than the Yugoslav Zupic, who qualified them to the finals. But it was more than suspect that Jean Vincent will elevate the team – it was rather typical African approach, leading to nothing: changing the coach in the last moment. One may be happy that a long time and respected professional – Tokoto – finally has a chance to play a bit of World Cup football, but the rest were nobodies and the only interest Cameroon would create can be among coaches – possibly some cheap promising African player can be hired. Otherwise, Cameroon was only to provide points to the other teams and perhaps who scored most goals in their net would advance.