Africa was also Group 12 with 2 teams qualifying. Like CONCACAF, the tournament went through elimination stages, culminating into final 3rd round where two pairs of teams met and the winners qualified to play in Italy. At first and second stages countries withdrew: Lesotho, Ruanda, Togo, and Libya. Eventually, the 3rd stage was reached: Algeria vs Egypt and Cameroon vs Tunisia. Depending on outcome, African football could make one important historic step – never before a team from Africa appeared 3 times at World Cup finals. But it was not to be this time…
Egypt killed the historic chance – they kept Algeria at bay in Constantine to 0-0 tie and in the second leg beat them 1-0 in Cairo. Egypt reached the finals, Algeria did not qualify for third time to the finals.
Meantime Cameroon ended the decade with second qualification to the World Cup finals – they won at home against Tunisia – 2-0 in Yaounde – and then won the second leg in Tunis 1-0. Here are the winners in Tunis: Second row from left: Jean Manga Onguene, Nlend Ajouma, Omam Biyik, Cyril Makanaky, Jean Claude Pagal, Emmanuel Kundé, Andre Kana Biyik, Louis Paul Mfede, Joseph Antoine Bell, Jules Denis Onana. Bottom: Emile Mbouh, Stephen Tataw, Hans Agbo, Lotin Ernest Ebongué, Eugene Ekeke, Bertin Ebwellé Ndingue, Bonabenture Njonkep. Cameroon did it again, confirming its high standing in African football aand also the legendary status of Jean Manga Onguene – a star player in the 1970s and now coaching Cameroon to its second World Cup.
A Football Blog