1974 FIFA World Cup qualification
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A total of 99 teams entered the 1974 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, competing for a total of 16 spots in the final tournament. West Germany, as the hosts, and Brazil, as the defending champions, qualified automatically, leaving 14 spots open for competition.
The 16 spots available in the 1974 World Cup would be distributed among the continental zones as follows:
- Europe (UEFA): 9.5 places, 1 of them went to automatic qualifier West Germany, while the other 8.5 places were contested by 32 teams. The winner of the 0.5 place would advance to the Intercontinental Play-offs (against a team from CONMEBOL).
- South America (CONMEBOL): 3.5 places, 1 of them went to automatic qualifier Brazil, while the other 2.5 places were contested by 9 teams. The winner of the 0.5 place would advance to the Intercontinental Play-offs (against a team from UEFA).
- North, Central America and Caribbean (CONCACAF): 1 place, contested by 14 teams.
- Africa (CAF): 1 place, contested by 24 teams.
- Asia (AFC) and Oceania (OFC): 1 place, contested by 18 teams.
A total of 90 teams played at least one qualifying match. A total of 226 qualifying matches were played, and 620 goals were scored (an average of 2.74 per match).
Listed below are the dates and results of the qualification rounds.
Contents |
[edit] Europe
The 32 teams were divided into 9 groups of 3 or 4 teams each (four groups with 3 teams and five groups with 4 teams). The teams would play against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winners would qualify, except the winner of Group 9, which would advance to the UEFA / CONMEBOL Intercontinental Play-off.
[edit] UEFA Group 1
November 14, 1971, Valletta, Malta - 
Malta 0 - 2 
Hungary
April 30, 1972, Vienna, Austria - 
Austria 4 - 0 Malta
May 6, 1972, Budapest, Hungary - Hungary 3 - 0 Malta
May 25, 1972, Stockholm, Sweden - 
Sweden 0 - 0 Hungary
June 10, 1972, Vienna, Austria - Austria 2 - 0 Sweden
October 15, 1972, Vienna, Austria - Austria 2 - 2 Hungary
October 15, 1972, Gothenburg, Sweden - Sweden 7 - 0 Malta
November 25, 1972, Valletta, Malta - Malta 0 - 2 Austria
April 29, 1973, Budapest, Hungary - Hungary 2 - 2 Austria
May 23, 1973, Gothenburg, Sweden - Sweden 3 - 2 Austria
June 13, 1973, Budapest, Hungary - Hungary 3 - 3 Sweden
November 11, 1973, Valletta, Malta - Malta 1 - 2 Sweden
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1= | Austria |
8 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 7 | 7 |
| 1= | Sweden |
8 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 8 | 7 |
| 3 | Hungary |
8 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 7 | 5 |
| 4 | Malta |
0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 20 | -19 |
Austria and Sweden finished level on points and goal difference, and a play-off on neutral ground was played to decide who would qualify.
November 27, 1973, Gelsenkirchen, West Germany - Sweden 2 - 1 Austria
Sweden qualified.
[edit] UEFA Group 2
October 7, 1972, Luxembourg, Luxembourg - 
Luxembourg 0 - 4 
Italy
October 21, 1972, Bern, Switzerland - 
Switzerland 0 - 0 Italy
October 22, 1972, Luxembourg, Luxembourg - Luxembourg 2 - 0 
Turkey
December 10, 1972, Istanbul, Turkey - Turkey 3 - 0 Luxembourg
January 13, 1973, Naples, Italy - Italy 0 - 0 Turkey
February 25, 1973, Istanbul, Turkey - Turkey 0 - 1 Italy
March 31, 1973, Genova, Italy - Italy 5 - 0 Luxembourg
April 8, 1973, Luxembourg, Luxembourg - Luxembourg 0 - 1 Switzerland
May 9, 1973, Basel, Switzerland - Switzerland 0 - 0 Turkey
September 26, 1973, Lucerne, Switzerland - Switzerland 1 - 0 Luxembourg
October 20, 1973, Rome, Italy - Italy 2 - 0 Switzerland
November 18, 1973, İzmir, Turkey - Turkey 2 - 0 Switzerland
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italy |
10 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| 2 | Turkey |
6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| 3 | Switzerland |
6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | -2 |
| 4 | Luxembourg |
2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 14 | -12 |
Italy qualified.
[edit] UEFA Group 3
May 18, 1972, Liège, Belgium - 
Belgium 4 - 0 
Iceland
May 22, 1972, Bruges, Belgium - Iceland 0 - 4 Belgium
- This match was played in Belgium instead of in Iceland.
August 3, 1972, Oslo, Norway - 
Norway 4 - 1 Iceland
October 4, 1972, Oslo, Norway - Norway 0 - 2 Belgium
November 1, 1972, Rotterdam, Netherlands - 
Netherlands 9 - 0 Norway
November 19, 1972, Antwerpen, Belgium - Belgium 0 - 0 Netherlands
August 2, 1973, Reykjavík, Iceland - Iceland 0 - 4 Norway
August 22, 1973, Amsterdam, Netherlands - Netherlands 5 - 0 Iceland
August 29, 1973, Deventer, Netherlands - Iceland 1 - 8 Netherlands
- This match was played in Netherlands instead of in Iceland.
September 12, 1973, Oslo, Norway - Norway 1 - 2 Netherlands
October 31, 1973, Brussels, Belgium - Belgium 2 - 0 Norway
November 18, 1973, Amsterdam, Netherlands - Netherlands 0 - 0 Belgium
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netherlands |
10 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 2 | 22 |
| 2 | Belgium |
10 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| 3 | Norway |
4 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 16 | -7 |
| 4 | Iceland |
0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 29 | -27 |
Netherlands qualified on goal difference.
[edit] UEFA Group 4
June 21, 1972, Helsinki, Finland - 
Finland 1 - 0 
Albania
September 20, 1972, Helsinki, Finland - Finland 1 - 1 
Romania
October 7, 1972, Dresden, East Germany - 
East Germany 5 - 0 Finland
October 29, 1972, Bucharest, Romania - Romania 2 - 0 Albania
April 8, 1973, Magdeburg, East Germany - East Germany 2 - 0 Albania
May 6, 1973, Tirana, Albania - Albania 1 - 4 Romania
May 27, 1973, Bucharest, Romania - Romania 1 - 0 East Germany
June 6, 1973, Tampere, Finland - Finland 1 - 5 East Germany
September 26, 1973, Leipzig, East Germany - East Germany 2 - 0 Romania
October 10, 1973, Tirana, Albania - Albania 1 - 0 Finland
October 14, 1973, Bucharest, Romania - Romania 9 - 0 Finland
November 3, 1973, Tirana, Albania - Albania 1 - 4 East Germany
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | East Germany |
10 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 3 | 15 |
| 2 | Romania |
9 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 4 | 13 |
| 3 | Finland |
3 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 21 | -18 |
| 4 | Albania |
2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 13 | -10 |
East Germany qualified.
[edit] UEFA Group 5
November 15, 1972, Cardiff, Wales - 
Wales 0 - 1 
England
January 24, 1973, London, England - England 1 - 1 Wales
March 28, 1973, Cardiff, Wales - Wales 2 - 0 
Poland
June 6, 1973, Chorzow, Poland - Poland 2 - 0 England
September 26, 1973, Chorzow, Poland - Poland 3 - 0 Wales
October 17, 1973, London, England - England 1 - 1 Poland
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Poland |
5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 3 |
| 2 | England |
4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -1 |
| 3 | Wales |
3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | -2 |
Poland qualified.
[edit] UEFA Group 6
All home matches of Northern Ireland were played in England instead.
March 29, 1972, Lisbon, Portugal - 
Portugal 4 - 0 
Cyprus
May 10, 1972, Nicosia, Cyprus - Cyprus 0 - 1 Portugal
October 18, 1972, Sofia, Bulgaria - 
Bulgaria 3 - 0 
Northern Ireland
November 19, 1972, Limassol, Cyprus - Cyprus 0 - 4 Bulgaria
February 14, 1973, Nicosia, Cyprus - Cyprus 1 - 0 Northern Ireland
March 28, 1973, Coventry, England - Northern Ireland 1 - 1 Portugal
May 2, 1973, Sofia, Bulgaria - Bulgaria 2 - 1 Portugal
May 8, 1973, London, England - Northern Ireland 3 - 0 Cyprus
September 26, 1973, Sheffield, England - Northern Ireland 0 - 0 Bulgaria
October 13, 1973, Lisbon, Portugal - Portugal 2 - 2 Bulgaria
November 14, 1973, Lisbon, Portugal - Portugal 1 - 1 Northern Ireland
November 18, 1973, Sofia, Bulgaria - Bulgaria 2 - 0 Cyprus
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bulgaria |
10 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 3 | 10 |
| 2 | Portugal |
7 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 6 | 4 |
| 3 | Northern Ireland |
5 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 | -1 |
| 4 | Cyprus |
2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 14 | -13 |
Bulgaria qualified.
[edit] UEFA Group 7
October 19, 1972, Las Palmas, Spain - 
Spain 2 - 2 
Yugoslavia
November 18, 1972, Belgrade, Yugoslavia - Yugoslavia 1 - 0 
Greece
January 17, 1973, Athens, Greece - Greece 2 - 3 Spain
February 21, 1973, Málaga, Spain - Spain 3 - 1 Greece
October 21, 1973, Zagreb, Yugoslavia - Yugoslavia 0 - 0 Spain
December 19, 1973, Athens, Greece - Greece 2 - 4 Yugoslavia
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1= | Spain |
6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 3 |
| 1= | Yugoslavia |
6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 3 |
| 3 | Greece |
0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 11 | -6 |
Spain and Yugoslavia finished level on points and goal difference, and a play-off on neutral ground was played to decide who would qualify.
February 13, 1974, Frankfurt, West Germany - Yugoslavia 1 - 0 Spain
Yugoslavia qualified.
[edit] UEFA Group 8
October 18, 1972, Copenhagen, Denmark - 
Denmark 1 - 4 
Scotland
November 15, 1972, Glasgow, Scotland - Scotland 2 - 0 Denmark
May 2, 1973, Copenhagen, Denmark - Denmark 1 - 1 
Czechoslovakia
June 6, 1973, Prague, Czechoslovakia - Czechoslovakia 6 - 0 Denmark
September 26, 1973, Glasgow, Scotland - Scotland 2 - 1 Czechoslovakia
October 17, 1973, Bratislava, Czechoslovakia - Czechoslovakia 1 - 0 Scotland
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scotland |
6 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 5 |
| 2 | Czechoslovakia |
5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 6 |
| 3 | Denmark |
1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 13 | -11 |
Scotland qualified.
[edit] UEFA Group 9
October 13, 1972, Paris, France - 
France 1 - 0 
USSR
October 18, 1972, Dublin, Ireland - 
Republic of Ireland 1 - 2 USSR
November 15, 1972, Dublin, Ireland - Republic of Ireland 2 - 1 France
May 13, 1973, Moscow, USSR - USSR 1 - 0 Republic of Ireland
May 19, 1973, Paris, France - France 1 - 1 Republic of Ireland
May 26, 1973, Moscow, USSR - USSR 2 - 0 France
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USSR |
6 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 3 |
| 2 | Republic of Ireland |
3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | -1 |
| 3 | France |
3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | -2 |
USSR advanced to the UEFA / CONMEBOL Intercontinental Play-off.
[edit] South America
The 9 teams were divided into 3 groups of 3 teams each. The teams would play against each other on a home-and-away basis. The winners of Groups 1 and 2 would qualify, while the winner of Group 3 would advance to the UEFA / CONMEBOL Intercontinental Play-off.
[edit] CONMEBOL Group 1
June 21, 1973, Bogotá, Colombia - 
Colombia 1 - 1 
Ecuador
June 24, 1973, Bogotá, Colombia - Colombia 0 - 0 
Uruguay
June 28, 1973, Guayaquil, Ecuador - Ecuador 1 - 1 Colombia
July 1, 1973, Quito, Ecuador - Ecuador 1 - 2 Uruguay
July 5, 1973, Montevideo, Uruguay - Uruguay 0 - 1 Colombia
July 8, 1973, Montevideo, Uruguay - Uruguay 4 - 0 Ecuador
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uruguay |
5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 4 |
| 2 | Colombia |
5 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 3 | Ecuador |
2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 8 | -5 |
Uruguay qualified on goal difference.
[edit] CONMEBOL Group 2
September 2, 1973, La Paz, Bolivia - 
Bolivia 1 - 2 
Paraguay
September 9, 1973, Buenos Aires, Argentina - 
Argentina 4 - 0 Bolivia
September 16, 1973, Asunción, Paraguay - Paraguay 1 - 1 Argentina
September 23, 1973, La Paz, Bolivia - Bolivia 0 - 1 Argentina
September 30, 1973, Asunción, Paraguay - Paraguay 4 - 0 Bolivia
October 7, 1973, Buenos Aires, Argentina - Argentina 3 - 1 Paraguay
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Argentina |
7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 7 |
| 2 | Paraguay |
5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 3 |
| 3 | Bolivia |
0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 11 | -10 |
Argentina qualified.
[edit] CONMEBOL Group 3
Venezuela withdrew.
April 29, 1973, Lima, Peru - 
Peru 2 - 0 
Chile
May 3, 1973, Santiago, Chile - Chile 2 - 0 Peru
The aggregate score was tied, and a play-off on neutral ground was played to decide who would advance to the UEFA / CONMEBOL Intercontinental Play-off.
August 5, 1973, Montevideo, Uruguay - Chile 2 - 1 Peru
Chile advanced to the UEFA / CONMEBOL Intercontinental Play-off.
[edit] North, Central America and Caribbean
There would be two rounds of play:
- First Round: The 14 teams were divided into 6 groups of 2 or 3 teams (four groups with 2 teams and two groups with 3 teams). The teams would play against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winners would advance to the Final Round.
- Final Round: The 6 teams would play against each other once in Haiti. The group winner would qualify.
[edit] CONCACAF First Round
[edit] Group 1
August 20, 1972, St. John's, Canada - 
Canada 3 - 2 
USA
August 24, 1972, Toronto, Canada - Canada 0 - 1 
Mexico
August 29, 1972, Baltimore, USA - USA 2 - 2 Canada
September 3, 1972, Mexico City, Mexico - Mexico 3 - 1 USA
September 6, 1972, Mexico City, Mexico - Mexico 2 - 1 Canada
September 10, 1972, Los Angeles, USA - USA 1 - 2 Mexico
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mexico |
8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 5 |
| 2 | Canada |
3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 7 | -1 |
| 3 | USA |
1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 10 | -4 |
Mexico advanced to the Final Round.
[edit] Group 2
December 3, 1972, Guatemala City, Guatemala - 
Guatemala 1 - 0 
El Salvador
December 10, 1972, San Salvador, El Salvador - El Salvador 0 - 1 Guatemala
Guatemala advanced to the Final Round.
[edit] Group 3
December 3, 1972, Tegucigalpa, Honduras - 
Honduras 2 - 1 
Costa Rica
December 10, 1972, San José, Costa Rica - Costa Rica 3 - 3 Honduras
Honduras advanced to the Final Round.
[edit] Group 4
Jamaica withdrew, so Netherlands Antilles advanced to the Final Round automatically.
[edit] Group 5
April 15, 1972, Port au Prince, Haiti - 
Haiti 7 - 0 
Puerto Rico
April 23, 1972, San Juan, Puerto Rico - Puerto Rico 0 - 5 Haiti
Haiti advanced to the Final Round.
[edit] Group 6
All home matches of Dutch Guiana were played away instead.
November 10, 1972, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago - 
Trinidad & Tobago 11 - 1 
Antigua and Barbuda
November 19, 1972, St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda - Antigua and Barbuda 1 - 2 Trinidad & Tobago
November 28, 1972, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago - Trinidad & Tobago 2 - 1 
Dutch Guiana
November 30, 1972, San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago - Dutch Guiana 1 - 1 Trinidad & Tobago
December 3, 1972, St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda - Antigua and Barbuda 0 - 6 Dutch Guiana
December 5, 1972, St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda - Dutch Guiana 3 - 1 Antigua and Barbuda
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trinidad & Tobago |
7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 4 | 12 |
| 2 | Dutch Guiana |
5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 4 | 7 |
| 3 | Antigua and Barbuda |
0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 22 | -19 |
Trinidad and Tobago advanced to the Final Round.
[edit] CONCACAF Final Round
November 29, 1973, Port au Prince, Haiti - Honduras 2 - 1 Trinidad & Tobago
November 30, 1973, Port au Prince, Haiti - Mexico 0 - 0 Guatemala
December 1, 1973, Port au Prince, Haiti - Haiti 3 - 0 
Netherlands Antilles
December 3, 1973, Port au Prince, Haiti - Honduras 1 - 1 Mexico
December 4, 1973, Port au Prince, Haiti - Haiti 2 - 1 Trinidad & Tobago
December 5, 1973, Port au Prince, Haiti - Netherlands Antilles 2 - 2 Guatemala
December 7, 1973, Port au Prince, Haiti - Haiti 1 - 0 Honduras
December 8, 1973, Port au Prince, Haiti - Mexico 8 - 0 Netherlands Antilles
December 10, 1973, Port au Prince, Haiti - Trinidad & Tobago 1 - 0 Guatemala
December 12, 1973, Port au Prince, Haiti - Honduras 2 - 2 Netherlands Antilles
December 13, 1973, Port au Prince, Haiti - Haiti 2 - 1 Guatemala
December 14, 1973, Port au Prince, Haiti - Trinidad & Tobago 4 - 0 Mexico
December 15, 1973, Port au Prince, Haiti - Honduras 1 - 1 Guatemala
December 17, 1973, Port au Prince, Haiti - Trinidad & Tobago 4 - 0 Netherlands Antilles
December 18, 1973, Port au Prince, Haiti - Haiti 0 - 1 Mexico
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Haiti |
8 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 5 |
| 2 | Trinidad & Tobago |
6 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 4 | 7 |
| 3 | Mexico |
6 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 5 |
| 4 | Honduras |
5 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| 5 | Guatemala |
3 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 6 | -2 |
| 6 | Netherlands Antilles |
2 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 19 | -15 |
Haiti qualified.
[edit] Africa
There would be four rounds of play:
- 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.
[edit] CAF First Round
November 19, 1972, Agadir, Morocco - 
Morocco 0 - 0 
Senegal
December 3, 1972, Dakar, Senegal - Senegal 1 - 2 Morocco
Morocco advanced to the Second Round.
March 2, 1972, Algiers, Algeria - 
Algeria 1 - 0 
Guinea
March 12, 1972, Conakry, Guinea - Guinea 5 - 1 Algeria
Guinea advanced to the Second Round.
December 8, 1972, Cairo, Egypt - 
Egypt 2 - 1 
Tunisia
December 17, 1972, Tunis, Tunisia - Tunisia 2 - 0 Egypt
Tunisia advanced to the Second Round.
October 15, 1972, Freetown, Sierra Leone - 
Sierra Leone 0 - 1 
Côte d'Ivoire
October 29, 1972, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire - Côte d'Ivoire 2 - 0 Sierra Leone
Côte d'Ivoire advanced to the Second Round.
July 16, 1972, Nairobi, Kenya - 
Kenya 2 - 0 
Sudan
July 23, 1972, Khartoum, Sudan - Sudan 1 - 0 Kenya
Kenya advanced to the Second Round.
November 25, 1972, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania - 
Tanzania 1 - 1 
Ethiopia
December 3, 1972, Adis Abeba, Ethiopia - Ethiopia 0 - 0 Tanzania
The aggregate score was tied, and a play-off was played to decide who would advance to the Second Round.
December 10, 1972, Adis Abeba, Ethiopia - Ethiopia 3 - 0 Tanzania
Ethiopia advanced to the Second Round.
April 30, 1972, Maseru, Lesotho - 
Lesotho 0 - 0 
Zambia
June 4, 1972, Ndola, Zambia - Zambia 6 - 1 Lesotho
Zambia advanced to the Second Round.
August 5, 1972, Ibadan, Nigeria - 
Nigeria 2 - 1 
Congo
August 15, 1972, Brazzaville, Congo - Congo 1 - 1 Nigeria
Nigeria advanced to the Second Round.
June 18, 1972, Cotonou, Dahomey - 
Dahomey 0 - 5 
Ghana
July 2, 1972, Kumasi, Ghana - Ghana 5 - 1 Dahomey
Ghana advanced to the Second Round.
June 6, 1972, Lomé, Togo - 
Togo 0 - 0 
Zaire
June 20, 1972, Kinshasa, Zaire - Zaire 4 - 0 Togo
Zaire advanced to the Second Round.
Madagascar withdrew, so Mauritius advanced to the Second Round automatically.
Gabon withdrew, so Cameroon advanced to the Second Round automatically.
[edit] CAF Second Round
February 11, 1973, Conakry, Guinea - Guinea 1 - 1 Morocco
February 25, 1973, Tetouan, Morocco - Morocco 2 - 0 Guinea
Morocco advanced to the Third Round.
February 11, 1973, Tunis, Tunisia - Tunisia 1 - 1 Côte d'Ivoire
February 25, 1973, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire - Côte d'Ivoire 2 - 1 Tunisia
Côte d'Ivoire advanced to the Third Round.
December 10, 1972, Port Louis, Mauritius - 
Mauritius 1 - 3 Kenya
December 17, 1972, Nairobi, Kenya - Kenya 2 - 2 Mauritius
Kenya advanced to the Third Round.
April 1, 1973, Adis Abeba, Ethiopia - Ethiopia 0 - 0 Zambia
April 15, 1973, Lusaka, Zambia - Zambia 4 - 2 Ethiopia
Zambia advanced to the Third Round.
February 10, 1973, Lagos, Nigeria - Nigeria 0 - 2 Ghana
- FIFA awarded Ghana a 2-0 win after riots abandoned the match at 2-3.
February 25, 1973, Accra, Ghana - Ghana 0 - 0 Nigeria
Ghana advanced to the Third Round.
February 4, 1973, Douala, Cameroon - 
Cameroon 0 - 1 Zaire
February 25, 1973, Kinshasa, Zaire - Zaire 0 - 1 Cameroon
The aggregate score was tied, and a play-off was played to decide who would advance to the Third Round.
February 27, 1973, Kinshasa, Zaire - Zaire 2 - 0 Cameroon
Zaire advanced to the Third Round.
[edit] CAF Third Round
May 20, 1973, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire - Côte d'Ivoire 1 - 1 Morocco
June 3, 1973, Tetouan, Morocco - Morocco 4 - 1 Côte d'Ivoire
Morocco advanced to the Final Round.
August 12, 1973, Ndola, Zambia - Zambia 2 - 0 Kenya
August 19, 1973, Nairobi, Kenya - Kenya 2 - 2 Zambia
Zambia advanced to the Final Round.
August 5, 1973, Accra, Ghana - Ghana 1 - 0 Zaire
August 19, 1973, Kinshasa, Zaire - Zaire 4 - 1 Ghana
Zaire advanced to the Final Round.
[edit] CAF Final Round
October 21, 1973, Lusaka, Zambia - Zambia 4 - 0 Morocco
November 4, 1973, Lusaka, Zambia - Zambia 0 - 2 Zaire
November 18, 1973, Kinshasa, Zaire - Zaire 2 - 1 Zambia
November 25, 1973, Tetouan, Morocco - Morocco 2 - 0 Zambia
December 9, 1973, Kinshasa, Zaire - Zaire 3 - 0 Morocco
December 23, 1973 - Morocco 0 - 2 Zaire
- FIFA awarded Zaire a 2-0 win because Morocco forfeited.
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zaire |
8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 8 |
| 2 | Zambia |
2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 6 | -1 |
| 3 | Morocco |
2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 9 | -7 |
Zaire qualified.
[edit] Asia and Oceania
India, Sri Lanka and Philippines withdrew before the matches were played. The remaining 15 teams were divided into 2 zones, based on geographical and political considerations, as follows:
- Zone A had 7 teams (teams from East Asia, plus Israel). All matches were played in South Korea. There would be four stages of play:
- Classification matches: All teams except South Korea would be paired up to play preliminary matches to determine group classification.
- Group stage: Based on the results of the classification matches, the 7 teams were divided into 2 groups (Group 1 with 3 teams and Group 2 with 4 teams). The teams would play against each other once. The group winners and runners-up would advance to the semifinals.
- Semifinals: The winner of Group 1 would play against the runner-up of Group 2 in a single match, and the winner of Group 2 would play against the runner-up of Group 1 in a single match. The winners would advance to the Final.
- Final: The 2 teams would play against each other in a single match. The winner would advance to the Final Round.
- Zone B had 8 teams (teams from West Asia and Oceania, plus Indonesia and North Korea). There would be two stages of play:
- Group stage: The 8 teams were divided into 2 groups of 4 teams each. The teams would play against each other twice (Group 1 in Iran and Group 2 in Australia and New Zealand). The group winners would advance to the final.
- Final: The 2 teams would play against each other on a home-and-away basis. The winner would advance to the Final Round.
In the Final Round, the winners of Zone A and Zone B would play against each other on a home-and-away basis. The winner would qualify.
[edit] AFC / OFC Zone A
[edit] Classification matches
May 16, 1973, Seoul, South Korea - 
South Vietnam 1 - 0 
Thailand
May 16, 1973, Seoul, South Korea - 
Israel 2 - 1 
Japan
May 17, 1973, Seoul, South Korea - 
Hong Kong 1 - 0 
Malaysia
Based on the results, South Vietnam, Japan and Hong Kong were placed in Group 1, while Thailand, Israel and Malaysia were placed in Group 2 with South Korea.
[edit] Group 1
May 20, 1973, Seoul, South Korea - Japan 4 - 0 South Vietnam
May 22, 1973, Seoul, South Korea - Hong Kong 1 - 0 Japan
May 24, 1973, Seoul, South Korea - Hong Kong 1 - 0 South Vietnam
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hong Kong |
4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 2 | Japan |
2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| 3 | South Vietnam |
0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | -5 |
Hong Kong and Japan advanced to the Zone A Semifinals.
[edit] Group 2
May 19, 1973, Seoul, South Korea - 
Korea Republic 4 - 0 Thailand
May 19, 1973, Seoul, South Korea - Israel 3 - 0 Malaysia
May 21, 1973, Seoul, South Korea - Korea Republic 0 - 0 Malaysia
May 21, 1973, Seoul, South Korea - Israel 6 - 0 Thailand
May 23, 1973, Seoul, South Korea - Korea Republic 0 - 0 Israel
May 23, 1973, Seoul, South Korea - Malaysia 2 - 0 Thailand
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Israel |
5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| 2 | Korea Republic |
4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 3 | Malaysia |
3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 |
| 4 | Thailand |
0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 12 | -12 |
Israel and South Korea advanced to the Zone A Semifinals.
[edit] Semifinals
May 26, 1973, Seoul, South Korea - Korea Republic 3 - 1 Hong Kong
South Korea advanced to the Zone A Final.
May 26, 1973, Seoul, South Korea - Israel 1 - 0 (aet) Japan
Israel advanced to the Zone A Final.
[edit] Final
May 28, 1973, Seoul, South Korea - Korea Republic 1 - 0 (aet) Israel
South Korea advanced to the Final Round.
[edit] AFC / OFC Zone B
[edit] Group 1
May 4, 1973, Tehran, Iran - 
Iran 0 - 0 
Korea DPR
May 4, 1973, Tehran, Iran - 
Syria 2 - 1 
Kuwait
May 6, 1973, Tehran, Iran - Iran 2 - 1 Kuwait
May 6, 1973, Tehran, Iran - Korea DPR 1 - 1 Syria
May 8, 1973, Tehran, Iran - Korea DPR 0 - 0 Kuwait
May 8, 1973, Tehran, Iran - Iran 1 - 0 Syria
May 11, 1973, Tehran, Iran - Iran 2 - 1 Korea DPR
May 11, 1973, Tehran, Iran - Syria 2 - 0 Kuwait
May 13, 1973, Tehran, Iran - Iran 2 - 0 Kuwait
May 13, 1973, Tehran, Iran - Korea DPR 3 - 0 Syria
May 15, 1973, Tehran, Iran - Syria 1 - 0 Iran
May 15, 1973, Tehran, Iran - Kuwait 2 - 0 Korea DPR
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iran |
9 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 4 |
| 2 | Syria |
7 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| 3 | Korea DPR |
5 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| 4 | Kuwait |
3 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 8 | -4 |
Iran advanced to the Zone B Final.
[edit] Group 2
March 4, 1973, Auckland, New Zealand - 
Australia 1 - 1 
New Zealand
March 11, 1973, Sydney, Australia - Australia 3 - 1 
Iraq
March 11, 1973, Sydney, Australia - New Zealand 1 - 1 
Indonesia
March 13, 1973, Sydney, Australia - Australia 2 - 1 Indonesia
March 13, 1973, Sydney, Australia - Iraq 2 - 0 New Zealand
March 16, 1973, Sydney, Australia - Iraq 1 - 1 Indonesia
March 16, 1973, Sydney, Australia - Australia 3 - 3 New Zealand
March 18, 1973, Melbourne, Australia - Australia 0 - 0 Iraq
March 18, 1973, Melbourne, Australia - Indonesia 1 - 0 New Zealand
March 21, 1973, Sydney, Australia - Iraq 3 - 2 Indonesia
March 24, 1973, Sydney, Australia - Australia 6 - 0 Indonesia
March 24, 1973, Sydney, Australia - Iraq 4 - 0 New Zealand
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia |
9 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 6 | 9 |
| 2 | Iraq |
8 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 6 | 5 |
| 3 | Indonesia |
4 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 13 | -7 |
| 4 | New Zealand |
3 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 12 | -7 |
Australia advanced to the Zone B Final.
[edit] Final
August 18, 1973, Sydney, Australia - Australia 3 - 0 Iran
August 24, 1973, Tehran, Iran - Iran 2 - 0 Australia
Australia advanced to the Final Round.
[edit] AFC / OFC Final Round
October 28, 1973, Sydney, Australia - Australia 0 - 0 Korea Republic
November 10, 1973, Seoul, South Korea - Korea Republic 2 - 2 Australia
The aggregate score was tied, and a play-off on neutral ground was played to decide who would qualify.
November 13, 1973, Hong Kong - Australia 1 - 0 Korea Republic
Australia qualified.
[edit] Intercontinental Play-offs
The teams would play against each other on a home-and-away basis. The winner would qualify.
[edit] UEFA / CONMEBOL Intercontinental Play-off
September 26, 1973, Moscow, USSR - USSR 0 - 0 Chile
USSR refused to play the return leg in Chile due to the recent Chilean coup d'état. FIFA subsequently disqualified them, and Chile qualified.
[edit] Qualified teams
| Team | Finals Appearance | Streak | Last Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|
 Argentina |
6th | 1 | 1966 |
| Australia |
1st | 1 | - |
 Brazil (c) |
10th | 10 | 1970 |
| Bulgaria |
4th | 4 | 1970 |
| Chile |
5th | 1 | 1966 |
| East Germany |
1st | 1 | - |
| Haiti |
1st | 1 | - |
| Italy |
8th | 4 | 1970 |
| Netherlands |
3rd | 1 | 1938 |
| Poland |
2nd | 1 | 1938 |
| Scotland |
3rd | 1 | 1958 |
| Sweden |
6th | 2 | 1970 |
| Uruguay |
7th | 5 | 1970 |
 West Germany (h) |
8th(1) | 6 | 1970 |
| Yugoslavia |
6th | 1 | 1962 |
| Zaire |
1st | 1 | - |
(h) - qualified automatically as hosts
(c) - qualified automatically as defending champions
[edit] Notes
- For the first time in the qualifiers, goal difference was used as a tie-breaker for teams finishing level on points. Aggregate score was also used to determine the winners of two-legged ties.
- Australia was the first team from Oceania to qualify for a World Cup.
[edit] External links
| FIFA World Cup qualification |
|---|
|
Italy 1934 | France 1938 | Brazil 1950 | Switzerland 1954 | Sweden 1958 | Chile 1962 | England 1966 | Mexico 1970 | West Germany 1974 | Argentina 1978 | Spain 1982 | Mexico 1986 | Italy 1990 | USA 1994 | France 1998 | Korea/Japan 2002 | Germany 2006 | South Africa 2010 |
