query: african countries to reach world cup quarter finals

pos: African nations at the FIFA World Cup UEFA/CAF playoff with Spain. They lost both legs of this playoff, meaning that no African nation made it to the World Cup finals for the fifth time in a row. Seventeen African countries entered the qualification process for the 1966 FIFA World Cup : Algeria, Cameroon, French Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Libya, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, and Tunisia. FIFA rejected the application of French Congo, and had already suspended South Africa for apartheid, resulting in their disqualification. FIFA's allocation of only one place to three continents (Africa, Asia, Oceania) was subject to significant criticism, especially

pos: African nations at the FIFA World Cup Algeria, Ivory Coast and Cameroon also exited the tournament after the Group stages However, Ghana progressed beyond the group stages of the FIFA World Cup for the second time in a row, and defeated the U.S. 2–1 after extra time in the Round of 16, which saw them reach the quarter-finals, becoming the third African nation to do so. In the quarter-finals, they were eliminated by Uruguay. Ghana were defeated by Uruguay on penalties after Luis Suárez controversially handballed on the goal line deep into extra time, denying Ghana an almost certain winning goal. The penalty that followed, was missed

pos: Ghana at the FIFA World Cup the quarter-finals where they were eliminated by Uruguay. Ghana was defeated by Uruguay on penalties after Luis Suárez controversially handballed on the goal line deep into extra time, denying Ghana an almost certain winning goal. Had Ghana won their quarter final, they would have become the first African nation to progress to the semi finals of the world cup. Of the 32 countries that participated in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, FIFA ranked Ghana 7th. In the 2014 World Cup, Ghana was eliminated during the group stages. Head coach: Ratomir Dujković Asamoah Gyan opened the scoring with a low left

pos: 2018 FIFA World Cup terms of population to reach the World Cup. Other teams returning after absences of at least three tournaments include: Egypt, returning to the finals after their last appearance in 1990; Morocco, who last competed in 1998; Peru, returning after 1982; and Senegal, competing for the second time after reaching the quarter-finals in 2002. It is the first time three Nordic countries (Denmark, Iceland and Sweden) and four Arab nations (Egypt, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia) have qualified for the World Cup. Notable countries that failed to qualify include four-time champions Italy (for the first time since 1958), three-time runners-up and

pos: Roger Milla Roger Milla Albert Roger Mooh Miller (born 20 May 1952), commonly known as Roger Milla, is a retired Cameroonian professional footballer who played as a forward. He was one of the first African players to be major stars on the international stage. He played in three World Cups for the Cameroon national team. He achieved international stardom at 38 years old, an age at which most forwards have retired, by scoring four goals at the 1990 FIFA World Cup. He helped Cameroon become the first African team to reach the World Cup quarter-finals. Four years later, at the age of

pos: African nations at the FIFA World Cup one of them. By this time, Roger Milla, his post-goal celebrations, and Cameroon had firmly implanted themselves in the global footballing consciousness. In the quarter finals, they were seven minutes from qualifying for the semi-finals when England were awarded a penalty. England won the match 3–2 after extra time, with three of the five goals coming from penalties (1 for Cameroon, 2 for England). 40 African countries entered the qualification process for 3 spots at the 1994 FIFA World Cup. The extra spot was awarded after the strong performances of Cameroon and Egypt at Italia 90. However, only 28 played

pos: African nations at the FIFA World Cup Russia, drew 1–1 with Belgium, and lost 0–2 to co-hosts Japan. Of Africa's five representatives, three won at least once, but only one progressed beyond the first round. Still, Senegal's surprise run made it the fifth successive time an African nation had made it to the Round of 16, and the second time an African country had reached the quarter finals. Three of the five African nations (South Africa, Nigeria, Tunisia) took a local coach to the World Cup; only one of those three scored a win. 51 African countries entered the race for 5 spots at the 2006 FIFA

pos: Cameroon v Colombia (1990 FIFA World Cup) 54th minute, went to score after 106 and 109 minutes. In his second goal, Milla took the ball from the goalkeeper Higuita who was trying to dribble him near the halfway line. Redín pulled one back for Colombia after 115 minutes but it wasn't enough, Cameroon became the first African nation to reach the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup. Cameroon v Colombia (1990 FIFA World Cup) Cameroon vs Colombia was a FIFA World Cup match that took place in the Stadio San Paolo in Naples, Italy on 23 June 1990, during the 1990 World Cup. Cameroon won 2–1, thus

pos: Ghana national football team reach the World Cup quarter-finals, and in 2014 they competed in their third consecutive World Cup. The Gold Coast Football Association was founded in 1920, succeeded by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) in 1957, which affiliated to Confederation of African Football and FIFA the following year. On 19 August 1962 at the Accra Sports Stadium, the Black Stars played Spanish giants Real Madrid, who were at the time Spanish champions, former European champions and intercontinental champions, and drew 3–3. Charles Kumi Gyamfi became coach in 1961, and the Black Stars won successive African Cup of Nations titles, in 1963 and

pos: Ghana national football team reach the World Cup quarter-finals. The team then lost to Uruguay in a penalty shootout in the quarter-finals, having missed a penalty kick in extra time after a certain goal was prevented by Luis Suárez's deliberate handball, who was then shown a red card for his actions. In 2013 Ghana became the only team in Africa to reach four consecutive semi-finals of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations twice, from 1963 and 1970 and from 2008 and 2013. Ghana was sufficiently highly ranked by FIFA to start their qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in the Second round. They won

pos: Football in Cameroon most titled Club is the Cotonsport Garoua, 12 times champion. The championship has been renamed "MTN Elite One" Since the 2007 season and sponsorship by the South African telephone operator MTN. The Cameroonian Cup was created in 1960. The Canon Yaoundé won it eleven times. Cameroon national football team, dubbed "the Indomitable Lions", is one of the most successful in Africa, winning five times the African Cup of Nations (1984, 1988, 2000, 2002, 2017). in 1990, Cameroon became the first African country to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup. in 2000, he won the Olympic Games. Cameroon organized the

pos: Senegal sport in Senegal. In 2002, the team finished as runners-up at the Africa Cup of Nations and became one of only three African teams to ever reach the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup, defeating holders France in their first game. Popular players of Senegal include El Hadji Diouf, Khalilou Fadiga, Henri Camara, Papa Bouba Diop, Salif Diao, Ferdinand Coly, and Sadio Mané all of whom played in Europe. Senegal also qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, playing in Group H alongside Japan, Colombia and Poland. Basketball is also a popular sport in Senegal. The country has

pos: 1990 FIFA World Cup goalless, eventually breaking the deadlock midway in extra time. Three minutes later he netted a second after Colombian goalkeeper, René Higuita was dispossessed by Milla while well out of his goal, leaving the striker free to slot the ball into the empty net. Though the deficit was soon reduced to 2–1, Cameroon held on to become the first African team ever to reach the World Cup quarter-finals. Costa Rica were comfortably beaten 4–1 by Czechoslovakia, for whom Tomáš Skuhravý scored the tournament's second and final hat-trick. The Republic of Ireland's match with Romania remained goalless after extra time and the

pos: 2000 African Cup of Nations This is the first time ever that the African Cup was co-hosted by two countries. This is also the second time that Nigeria has hosted the African Cup after 1980 and the third time for Ghana after 1963 and 1978 Teams highlighted in green progress to the Quarter Finals. "All times local: GMT (UTC) and WAT (UTC +1)" Goalkeeper Defenders Midfielders Forwards 2000 African Cup of Nations The 2000 African Cup of Nations was the 22nd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the association football championship of Africa (CAF). It was co-hosted by Ghana and Nigeria, who jointly replaced

pos: History of the FIFA World Cup Jorge Burruchaga for the winner. The 1990 World Cup was held in Italy. Cameroon, participating in their second World Cup, made it to the quarter-finals after beating Argentina in the opening game. No African country had ever reached the quarter-finals before. Mexico was unable to compete in the 1990 World Cup preliminary competition as a result of a two-year ban for age fraud at a youth championship, an incident known as Los Cachirules. the United States qualified for the first time since 1950. An unpleasant episode marred the South American qualifiers: during the match between Brazil and Chile, a firework

pos: African U-17 Cup of Nations for Women to have a round robin as last round. All editions have qualified six teams to the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup. Ghana has been the only team to win in the quarter-finals of this tournament, placing 3rd in 2012. Nigeria has reached the quarter-final for three times. All other CAF teams have been eliminated in the group stages. African U-17 Cup of Nations for Women The African U-17 Cup of Nations for Women is association football tournament for the under 17 teams, that is held every two years, and serves as a qualifying competition for the FIFA U-17 Women's World

pos: 2002 African Cup of Nations Cup of Nations. Voters had a choice between five countries : Algeria, Botswana, Egypt, Ethiopia and Mali. This was the first time that Mali had hosted the competition. Teams highlighted in green progress to the Quarter Finals. Goalkeeper Defenders Midfielders Forwards 2002 African Cup of Nations The 2002 African Cup of Nations was the 23rd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the association football championship of Africa (CAF). It was hosted by Mali. Just like in 2000, the field of sixteen teams was split into four groups of four. Cameroon won its fourth championship (repeating as champions), beating Senegal

pos: 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF) qualifying zone saw 4 out of 5 finals places going to World Cup debutants (Angola, Togo, Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana). Nigeria missed out on a fourth consecutive finals appearance while Cameroon did not reach their fifth consecutive finals. The African zone also featured a group of death — Group 3, which brought together Africa's most frequent World Cup qualifier Cameroon with the two eventual finalists of the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations: Egypt and the Ivory Coast. The following five teams from CAF qualified for the final tournament. 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF) Listed below are the dates and

pos: FIFA World Cup World Cup finals. Germany has made the most top-four finishes (13), medals (12), as well as the most finals (8). To date, the final of the World Cup has only been contested by teams from the UEFA (Europe) and CONMEBOL (South America) confederations. European nations have won twelve titles, while South American have won nine. Only two teams from outside these two continents have ever reached the semi-finals of the competition: United States (North, Central America and Caribbean) in 1930 and South Korea (Asia) in 2002. The best result of an African team is reaching the quarter-finals: Cameroon in 1990,

pos: Hocine Achiou group in the first round of the 2004 African Nations Cup behind Cameroon before being defeated by Morocco in the quarter-finals. Achiou had scored an important goal against Egypt in one of the group stage matches that was instrumental in helping Algeria reach the quarterfinals. Achiou also scored a goal against Zimbabwe which would be the difference in the tie-breaker against Egypt, and ultimately qualify Algeria to the quarter-finals. Achiou has 25 caps for the Algerian national team and has scored 3 goals. Hocine Achiou Hocine Achiou (born April 27, 1979) is a former Algerian footballer and current manager of

pos: Culture of Ghana nation to win the FIFA U-20 World Cup by defeating Brazil 4-3 in a penalty shootout. On June 13, 2010, Ghana defeated Serbia 1-0 in first round play in the 2010 FIFA World Cup becoming the first African team to win a FIFA World Cup game hosted on African soil and subsequently became the only African team to progress from the group stage to the knock out phase at the 2010 event. On June 26, 2010 Ghana defeated the US by 2 goals to 1 in their round of 16 match, becoming the third African country to reach the quarter

pos: African nations at the FIFA World Cup Bwalya (not related). However, they lost their final group match 0–1 to Morocco in Casablanca and Morocco won Group B by one point. Amazingly, the rebuilt "Chipolopolo (Copper Bullets)" also went on to reach the finals of the 1994 African Cup of Nations. At the 1994 FIFA World Cup finals in the U.S., Cameroon drew their first game in Group B with eventual semi-finalists Sweden 2–2 and lost their second to eventual winners Brazil 0–3. They were 0–3 down to Russia in their third match when half-time substitute Roger Milla scored in the 46th minute (becoming at 42 the oldest

pos: England at the FIFA World Cup to have reached the quarter-finals. England opened the scoring through David Platt, but Cameroon quickly turned around the game to lead 2-1. Lineker subsequently won and scored a penalty in the 83rd minute to ensure the game went to extra time. He then scored a second penalty, to see England reach the semi-finals. In the semi-finals, England met West Germany. There was no separating the two teams after 90 minutes, which made England the first team to have played extra time in three successive World Cup games. There was also no separating the two teams after extra time, thereby taking

pos: Otto Pfister in the World Cup final in Florence, Ghana's first title. Ghana qualified for the 1992 African Cup of Nations after finishing top of their qualifying group. Ghana qualified to the Quarter-finals after two 1–0 victories over Egypt and Zambia in the first round of the final tournament. Ghana beat Congo national football team to take them through to the Semi-finals where they beat Nigeria, 2–1. On January 26, 1992 in Senegal, Ghana played Côte d'Ivoire in the final of the African Cup of Nations. After extra time the final score was 0–0 and the game entered penalties. After a marathon

pos: Senegal national football team of only three African teams to do so (the first being Cameroon in 1990; the other being Ghana in 2010). In the group, after defeating defending world champions France, they drew with Denmark and Uruguay, and beat Sweden in extra time in the round of 16, before losing to Turkey in the quarter-finals. Senegal qualified for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, but finished third in their group with two points. They failed to make the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, the first World Cup to be held in Africa. Senegal was eliminated in the 2012 African Cup

pos: Senegal national football team and lost 1–0 to Ivory Coast to finish in fourth place. In the 1990 Africa Cup of Nations, Senegal finished fourth. Senegal hosted the 1992 tournament. After finishing second in their group, they were eliminated by Cameroon in the quarterfinals. Senegal qualified for four of six African championships that decade. Senegal's best finish in the African Cup of Nations came in 2002, where they lost the final on a penalty shootout after drawing 0–0 with Cameroon. Later that year, Senegal made their first-ever world championship appearance at the World Cup. Senegal eventually reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup, one

pos: 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification going to World Cup debutants (Angola, Togo, Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana). Nigeria missed out on a fourth consecutive finals appearance while Cameroon did not reach their fifth consecutive finals. The African zone also featured a group of death — Group 3, which brought together Africa's most frequent World Cup qualifier Cameroon with the two eventual finalists of the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations: Egypt and the Ivory Coast. The qualification process was divided in three stages. In the first stage, the 34 teams were divided in 10 groups of three teams each and two groups of two teams each. Groups

pos: African nations at the FIFA World Cup by Asamoah Gyan. Had Ghana won their quarter final they would have become the very first African nation to progress to the semifinals of the world cup. Of the 32 countries that participated in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, FIFA ranked Ghana 7th. The 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil marked the first time more than one African team went beyond the group stages. While Ghana and Cameroon both collected disappointing results (apart from Ghana's 2–2 draw with later champions Germany, which saw them becoming the only team not to lose against the Germans in the entire tournament) and eventually

pos: Ghana men's football team is known as the Black Stars, with the under-20 team known as the Black Satellites. Ghana has won the African Cup of Nations four times, the FIFA U-20 World Cup once, and has participated in three consecutive FIFA World Cups dating back to 2006. In the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Ghana became the third African country to reach the quarter-final stage of the World Cup after Cameroon in 1990 and Senegal in 2002. Ghana national U-20 football team, known as the "Black Satellites", is considered to be the feeder team for the Ghana national football team. Ghana

pos: African nations at the FIFA World Cup same qualification group each with four wins, three draws, and a loss, but Senegal had a seven-goal superior goal difference thanks to their 9–0 aggregate thrashings of group minnows Namibia. In contrast, the Namibians had managed to hold Morocco to a goalless draw in Windhoek. Like Cameroon 12 years earlier, Senegal started with a shock 1–0 win over the defending champions and went on to reach the quarter finals. In Group A, after beating France 1–0 with a goal from Papa Bouba Diop, they drew 1–1 with eventual group winners Denmark. In their final match against Uruguay, they were leading

pos: Abedi Pele their first final in ten years. The performance earned him the added nickname of "The African Maradona". His solo run goal against Congo in the quarter-finals is often compared to Maradona's second goal against England in the 1986 World Cup. His backheader goal against Nigeria from the edge of the opponent's penalty box also heralded international acclaim. Abedi holds the record for most appearances at the Nations Cup Finals, his record even surpassing the legendary Roger Milla of Cameroon. He made his first appearance at the 13th Nations Cup Finals in Libya in 1982 and for the next 16 years

pos: Sports in Ghana Ghana, Ghana International School, Ashantigold Schools, Achimota School and other public basic schools now taken up the sport. Association football is administered by the Ghana Football Association and the national men's football team is known as the Black Stars, with the under-20 team known as the Black Satellites. Ghana has participated in many championships, including the African Cup of Nations with 4 titles, the FIFA World Cup three times, (2006, 2010, and 2014), and the FIFA U-20 World Cup with 1 title. In the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Ghana became the third African country to reach the quarter-final stage of

pos: Amdy Faye both the African Nations Cup and the World Cup in 2002, is described as an intelligent footballer with a good range of passing. Faye was one of the Senegal players who missed a penalty during the shootout at the end of the 2002 African Cup of Nations final as they lost to Cameroon. He was also in the Senegal team that reached the quarter finals of the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Japan. He played 2 games in the tournament in their 3–3 draw with Uruguay where he came on as a 76th-minute substitute, and also in their 2–1 extra

pos: Michael Essien over the United States, and helped Ghana become the only African team to reach the second round of the 2006 World Cup. However, he was suspended for Ghana's second round match against Brazil and could only watch as Ghana lost 0–3. Upon the team's return to Ghana, Essien said the team had gained invaluable experience and would be aiming to make the next finals, held in Africa for the first time in the tournament's history at the 2010 World Cup. In the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, Essien turned in another strong performance, driving the team to the semi-finals with

pos: 2006 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup meaning that from this World Cup onwards, each confederation would have the same number of teams participating in each World Cup and that the 16 teams would be split up into four groups of four teams, with the top two teams moving on to the quarter finals. African nations were allocated 2 berths at the World Cup. The championship took place between September 28 and September 30, 2006. Cameroon and Nigeria were the two finalists, meaning they both qualified for the World Cup. Cameroon defeated Nigeria in the final to win the title. Asian nations were allocated 3 berths at

neg: Tunisia national football team Henryk Kasperczak. Under him, Tunisia qualified for 1996 African Cup of Nations and finished second in their group, putting them through to the quarter-finals. Tunisia went on to beat Gabon in the quarter-finals and Zambia in the semi-finals to reach their first major final in 31 years, but lost to host country South Africa 2-0. Still under the leadership of Kasperczak, Tunisia reached the quarter-finals of the 1998 African Cup of Nations, where they were eliminated in a penalty shootout by host country Burkina Faso. The team also qualified for that year's World Cup after a 20-year absence: they again

neg: Hérita Ilunga 2016, and in September 2017 was appointed to the commission for training and development at CAF. Ilunga was part of the Congolese 2004 African Nations Cup team, who finished bottom of their group in the first round of competition, thus failing to secure qualification for the quarter-finals. Ilunga helped DR Congo reach the quarter-finals of the African Cup of Nations in Egypt in 2006. The Leopards beat Togo and drew with Angola before being eliminated by the host nation in the last-eight. Ilunga scored his first goal for his country in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Egypt in

neg: African U-20 Cup of Nations for Women there is no host country for the single years. Only the winner qualified for the World Cup in the first two editions. Two teams qualify for the World Cup. No final match is played. Three different teams have qualified for the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. Nigeria has been the only team to reach the quarter-finals at the World Cup, placing 2nd twice in 2010 and 2014 and 4th in 2012. All other CAF teams have been eliminated in the group stages. African U-20 Cup of Nations for Women The African U-20 Cup of Nations for Women is association football

neg: Devon Petersen 9–6 and Eddie Dootson 9–3 to reach the quarter-finals of a major PDC event for the first time. Petersen led world number one Michael van Gerwen 3–2 at the first break but had had darts to win every leg and went on to lose 10–5. He became the first South African to throw a nine-dart finish on the PDC tour at the sixth Players Championship and went on to reach the quarter-finals where Van Gerwen whitewashed him 6–0. At the World Cup, Petersen and Filby survived a match dart from Finland to win 5–4 before losing both of their singles

neg: Argentina at the Rugby World Cup major Spanish language country in the 2007 Rugby World Cup, the Pumas also had considerable support from rugby fans in Spain, Uruguay, and other Latin American countries during their impressive five-game winning streak. Pool D games - Quarter-finals - Semi-finals - Bronze final game - Quarter-finals Quarter-finals Semi-finals Bronze final game - So far Argentina has not hosted any World Cup games, as no RWC has been held in the Americas yet. Argentina at the Rugby World Cup Argentina have competed in all the Rugby World Cup tournaments, starting with the inaugural 1987 tournament. Their best result was finishing in

neg: Quadri Aruna defeated in the second round by Danish player and number 34 seed, Jonathan Groth. Aruna competed in the 2018 ITTF African-Cup, placing first in group 2, allowing him to qualify for the Quarter Finals. In the Quarter Finals, Aruna defeated Derek Abrefa (4-0). In the Semi Finals, he defeated Ahmed Saleh (4-1), allowing him to advance to the finals of the African-Cup. The 2018 African-Cup Finals featured two of the only African players within the top 50 of the ITTF World Rankings, 2015 and 2016 Champion Omar Assar against reigning 2017 Champion Aruna. Assar, seeking retribution for last years defeat,

neg: Football in Ghana the last sixteen of the 2006 FIFA World Cup before being eliminated by the Brazil. At the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, they became the third African team in history to reach the World Cup quarter-finals. Some illustrious players have been Charles Kumi Gyamfi, Abédi Pelé, Abdul Razak, Tony Yeboah, Samuel Kuffour and Michael Essien. The youth teams have been successful as well. The U-17 team regularly competes in the FIFA U-17 World Cup and has won it twice and were runners-up twice. The U-20 team were runners-up twice in the FIFA U-20 World Cup, and in 2009

neg: FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup including African teams whose continent had only been represented by one nation before and Oceanian countries who had never had their continent been represented previously. Only 8 of the 45 countries have failed to appear in a FIFA controlled World Cup. Peru (5) have appeared in the most competitions without any one of those being under FIFA's control. Meanwhile, Iran (7) have appeared in the most FIFA sanctioned tournaments without having ever appeared in the old World Championships before 2005. "Italics" indicates pre-2005, non-FIFA World Championships Apps. – Appearances QFs – Quarter finals "As of 2017" This table shows the

neg: 1985–86 in English football Cup. 13 June 1986 – Southampton sign 19-year-old goalkeeper Tim Flowers from Wolverhampton Wanderers for £70,000, while 23-year-old midfielder Ian Crook joins Norwich City from Tottenham Hotspur for £80,000. 18 June 1986 – England beat Paraguay 3–0 to reach the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 1970. 22 June 1986 – England's World Cup challenge is ended in the quarter-finals when they lose 2–1 to Argentina. Diego Maradona scores both goals for Argentina, his first goal being the controversial "Hand of God" goal which was allowed despite being an obvious handball. England reached the quarter-finals of the 1986

neg: Qatar national football team Arabia won 1–0 to reach the finals. As 1998 Arab Nations Cup hosts, they finished runners-up to Saudi Arabia. They made it to the quarter-finals of the 2000 Asian Cup despite finishing 3rd in their group, but lost to China in their quarter-final confrontation. They reached the final qualifying round again in 2001, but were defeated by Bora Milutinovic's China team, who topped the section to progress to their first FIFA World Cup. Frenchman Philippe Troussier took the manager's job after the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan, but was unsuccessful in both the 2004 Asian Cup and the

neg: Sport in England England national football team won the World Cup in 1966 when it was hosted in England. Since then, however, they have failed to reach a final of a major international tournament, though they reached the semi-finals of the World Cup in 1990 and 2018, and the quarter-finals in 1986, 2002 and 2006. England reached the semi-finals of the UEFA European Championship when they hosted it in 1996, and finished third in Euro 1968; they also made the quarter-finals of Euro 2004 and 2012. The FA hopes that the completion of the National Football Centre will go some way to improving

neg: 1995 Rugby World Cup Final hosts, South Africa, and New Zealand. Both teams finished at the top of their pools, both undefeated in the pool stages. South Africa defeated Western Samoa in the quarter finals, and then France in the semi-finals to reach the final; the All Blacks defeated Scotland in the quarter-finals, and England in the semi-finals, a game in which Jonah Lomu famously scored four tries. Going into the final, New Zealand had led the tournament in production, outscoring their opponents 315–104, while South Africa had outscored its opponents 129–55. The high scoring All Blacks had been led by a then World Cup

neg: Algerian football clubs in African competitions is the club with the most participations before ES Setif, which has fourteen. the period that began with the victory of MC Algiers in 1976) until the late eighties (victory of JS Kabylie in 1990), is the most prolific for the Algerian clubs that won four titles and achieved two finals. This period will see even Algerian football achieve three consecutive finals in African Cup champion clubs in 1988, 1989 and 1990. Then it's nothingness, some clubs will frequently reach the quarter-finals see the semi-finals of an African competition; while others will make episodic appearances where only the participation seems

neg: Omar Assar the 2015 and 2016 All-African Games, Men's Singles. In 2017, his three-peat was interrupted by Nigerian Table Tennis player, Quadri Aruna, who defeated Assar in the tournaments finals (3-4). 2018 ITTF African-Cup Assar defeated Tunisian Table Tennis player Thameur Mamia (4-1) in the Quarter Finals of the event. He then defeated Saheed Idowu in the Semi Finals (4-0). Finally, Assar defeated longtime rival Quadri Aruna in the Finals of the event in order to win his third African-Cup. As of August 2016, Omar is ranked 55th in the world in the ITTF world rankings. He reached his highest ranking of

neg: Michel Dussuyer re-appointed in February 2014. After taking Guinea to the quarter-finals of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, he became manager of the Ivory Coast national team in July 2015. Dussuyer resigned from his role as Ivory Coast manager after the team failed to reach the quarter-finals of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. In December 2017 he was linked with the vacant Benin national team manager's job. Michel Dussuyer Michel Dussuyer (born 28 May 1959) is a French football manager and former professional player who has managed many African national teams including Guinea, Benin and Ivory Coast. Dussuyer played club

neg: Yordan Letchkov career was limited by a series of disagreements with coaches and the Bulgarian Football Federation. He is perhaps best remembered for scoring the winner against Germany in the quarter-finals of the 1994 World Cup, as Bulgaria reached the semi-finals where they were beaten by Italy. Above all thanks to his very good matches in that World Cup, he was placed in the 13th position of the 1994 Ballon d'Or. Letchkov went on to shine in the 1996 European Championships in England despite the failure of Bulgaria to reach the quarter finals: he played very well against Spain and Romania, and

neg: 2009 African U-17 Championship 2009 African U-17 Championship The 2009 African U-17 Championship was a football competition organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The tournament took place in Algeria. The top four teams qualified for the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup. Nigeria, automatically qualified as the hosts, didn't qualify for the Finals, although if they qualified for the Finals and went on to reach the semi-finals, then the teams who finished third in their respective groups would have met in a playoff for the fourth and final place in the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup. Original group standings Corrected standings After the

neg: 2013 FIFA Club World Cup Final time competing in the tournament, having participated in the competition in the inaugural edition in 2000. They were the second team to reach the final of the competition (after Corinthians in 2000) under the condition of being the host nation's national champions, as well as the second African finalist (after TP Mazembe in 2010). They reached the final after defeating New Zealand club Auckland City in the play-off round, Mexican club Monterrey in the quarter-finals, and Brazilian club Atletico Mineiro in the semi-finals. Bayern Munich defender Dante opened the scoring in the seventh minute; after Jérôme Boateng headed Xherdan Shaqiri's

neg: African nations at the FIFA World Cup was the only one without any qualification process. No African teams entered. The "Pharaohs" of Egypt were the only African team to apply to feature at the 1934 FIFA World Cup. As there were 32 countries competing for 16 places, FIFA organized the first qualification round. Egypt was placed in a group with Turkey and Palestine, then a British mandate. Turkey withdrew, and Egypt beat Palestine 7–1 in Cairo and 4–1 in Jerusalem to qualify for the World Cup finals. The 1934 FIFA World Cup finals was organized as a straight knock-out. Egypt lost 2–4 to Hungary in Naples with

neg: African nations at the FIFA World Cup have never qualified for the final tournament. This table shows for each world cup the number of countries at the World Cup, the number of entries (#E) from around the world (including any rejections and withdrawals), the number of African entries (#A), how many of those African entries withdrew (#A-) before/during qualification or were rejected by FIFA, the African representatives at the World Cup finals, the number of World Cup Qualifiers each African representative had to play to get to the World Cup (#WCQ), the furthest stage they reached, their results, and their coaches. The inaugural 1930 FIFA World Cup

neg: Mauritania national football team against neighbouring Mali in a two-legged qualifier. The first leg was lost 6–0 away on 1 May, and the second leg was lost 1–0 at home on 18 May. Mali did not qualify for the finals. Mauritania's first entrance into World Cup qualification was an attempt to reach the 1978 FIFA World Cup in Argentina. In March 1976 they were one of four countries put into two preliminary matches at the start of the African qualification campaign. Mauritania's preliminary was a two-legged match against the Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) and they drew the first match 1–1 away in Ouagadougou

neg: Japan national rugby sevens team defeated France to reach Bowl semi-finals, where they lost to Scotland, therefore claiming 11th place. The team advanced to Cup quarter-finals of the 2016 USA Sevens after winning over Scotland and drawing versus England. They lost to Fiji and defeated Kenya to reach the Plate final, where they fell to New Zealand to clinch 6th place. Japan national rugby sevens team The Japan national rugby sevens team participates in competitions such as the World Rugby Sevens Series and the Rugby World Cup Sevens. Japan won the Plate match at the 1980 and 1999 Hong Kong Sevens. In the 2007 Hong

neg: Mali national football team reached the 1972 African Nations Cup final, but lost 3–2 to Congo. They failed to qualify for the finals again until 1994 when they reached the semi-finals, an achievement repeated in 2002, 2004 and 2012. They played their first World Cup qualifier in the year 2000. As part of the CAF's qualifiers for the 2002 World Cup, Mali lost in the preliminary round to Libya. Two years later, the country hosted the 2002 African Cup of Nations. Mali's under-23's team managed to qualify for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Greece. The team coached by Cheick Kone managed to reach the

neg: Kim Huybrechts Robert Thornton in the quarter-finals of the World Cup, before losing to the Dutch pairing of Michael van Gerwen and Raymond van Barneveld in the semi-finals. Huybrechts was beaten 10–8 by Gerwyn Price in the first round of the World Matchplay, but reached the final of the International Darts Open where he missed seven championship darts to allow Mensur Suljović to triumph 6–5. A 2–1 win over Ian White and 3–0 whitewash of Stephen Bunting saw Huybrechts reach the quarter-finals of the World Grand Prix for the first time. He took the first set against Anderson without reply, but lost

neg: Spain at the FIFA World Cup Spain at the FIFA World Cup This is a record of Spain's results at the FIFA World Cup. Spain is one of only eight countries ever to have won the FIFA World Cup, which it did at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, in South Africa, the first time the team had reached the final. The team is one of the most present at the World Cup finals, with 15 appearances out of the 21 tournaments. Spain reached fourth-place in 1950, and has reached the quarter-finals four times. The Spanish team has also won three UEFA European Football Championships, in 1964,

neg: 1962 African Cup of Nations 1962 African Cup of Nations The 1962 African Cup of Nations was the third edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the soccer championship of Africa (CAF). It was hosted by Ethiopia. Nine countries entered the competition, including the reigning champions Egypt, meaning for the first time a qualification tournament was required. The finals only included four teams. Egypt, as holders, and Ethiopia as hosts, qualified automatically meaning each needed to play only one game to reach the final. Ethiopia won the tournament for the first time after extra time in the final. This tournament has the highest goals-per-game average

neg: 2007 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Final Mexico after losing 6-4 to Brazil in the second round of games, putting Russia in the driving seat to take second place in the group and progress to the quarter finals. However, in the final round of games, with Mexico winning 6-3 against the Solomon Islands, and Brazil beating Russia, Mexico sneaked through into the quarter-finals, finishing the group on a meagre 5 points. As Mexico were the runners-up of group A, they met the winners of group B, Spain in the quarter-finals. Spain were the favorites to reach the semi-finals but, after coming from behind, Mexico produced a surprising

neg: Under-19 Cricket World Cup In fact, this was the second time that a non-test playing nation qualified for the Super League/Quarter Finals, Nepal being the first one in the 2000 edition. India wobbled in the Quarter Finals against England and finally lost in the final over. This was the first semi-final berth for England in the last four editions. Pakistan beat England in the semis to reach its fifth Under-19 Final, becoming the first team to do so. South Africa beat Australia in the second semi-final. In a one-sided final, South Africa beat Pakistan and claimed its maiden U-19 World Cup title. Corbin Bosch,

neg: Élodie Thomis was a part of the team that won the competition defeating its nemesis Turbine Potsdam 2–0 in the final. She left Lyon after the 2017/18 season. Thomis made her international debut for "les Bleues" on June 6, 2005 in a match against Italy. Competing for France in 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup and 2012 London Olympics Thomis helped the team reach the semi-finals in all three competitions. In 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, Thomis helped France reach the quarter-finals where the team was eliminated by Germany on penalty shootout. Thomis has scored a total of 5 goals at these Olympics

neg: Thomson Cup under park conditions or town football pitches. 8 teams reach the quarter-finals, 4 teams reach the semi-finals and 2 teams reach the finals. (Due to unforeseen circumstances, the 2006 cup final has been delayed until May 2007. This was due to cup tie replays and reserve matches which were rescheduled to be played at Selhurst Park) Thomson Cup The Thomson Cup is an amateur football cup played in Great Britain. The Thomson Cup started in 2001 and encourages football teams from around the country to compete for a place in the final which is always played in a large stadium.

neg: 2013 Africa Cup of Nations Nations. The 2013 tournament is the highest attended edition of the Africa Cup of Nations under the current, 16-team format. The South African team was eliminated in the quarter-finals by Mali, following a penalty shoot-out. Nigeria won its third Africa Cup of Nations championship with a 1–0 victory over Burkina Faso in the final. Nigeria participated in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil as the representative from CAF. Bids : Rejected Bids : On 4 September 2006, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) approved a compromise between rival countries to host the Africa Cup of Nations after it ruled

neg: Samuel Okunowo league eight levels below the Premier League. In February 2010, Okunowo underwent a trial with Polish Ekstraklasa side Odra Wodzislaw, in an attempt to return to top flight football, but nothing materialized. He also met the same fate whilst looking for a club in Norway. On 5 January 2012, Okunowo returned to his homeland and signed with Sunshine Stars F.C. for one Nigerian Premier League campaign. He retired the following year, aged 34. Okunowo represented Nigeria at the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship (helping the hosts reach the quarter-finals), the 2000 African Cup of Nations and the 2000 Summer Olympics,

neg: 2011 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Final Russia, evenly matched. However this was not to be the case. Russia never found themselves behind in the match and went on to win 5-3 to progress to their first ever World Cup semi final. By far the biggest shock in the competition, it would be El Salvador who would play Russia in the semi finals. The Central American's, who up until now had never even won a game at a World Cup, had beaten Oman and Argentina in the Group Stage and had even beaten hosts and European giants Italy in the quarter finals to reach this stage, making

neg: Quadri Aruna Aruna played and was defeated by Ma long (1-3). The team dropped all three matches to China and were eliminated (0-3). Aruna competed in the 2017 ITTF African-Cup, qualifying for the quarter finals where he defeated Algerias Naim Karali (4-1). In the semi finals, Aruna defeated Egyptian player Mohamed El-beiali (4-3), qualifying for the finals. In the Finals, Aruna played and defeated long-time rival Omar Assar in a close match (4-3). Aruna won the event, and become the 2017 African-Cup Champion. Aruna competed in the World Championships seeded as number 30. He defeated Chilean player Gustavo Gómez (4-0). He was

neg: 1989–90 in English football 16 June 1990 – England draw 0–0 with the Netherlands in their second World Cup group game, leaving them needing to win the final group game against Egypt in five days to reach the Second Round. 21 June 1990 – England clinch qualification for the World Cup Second Round by beating Egypt 1–0 in their final group game. 26 June 1990 – England reach the quarter–finals of the World Cup with a second round 1–0 victory over Belgium. 29 June 1990 – Liverpool complete the permanent transfer of Israeli striker Ronnie Rosenthal from Standard Liège for £1 million. 1 July

neg: 2012 Africa Cup of Nations Teodoro Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea. The draw saw the 16 qualified teams being pitted into four groups of four teams each. The two top teams from each group will qualify for the quarter finals with the winners progressing to the semi finals and final eventually. The two hosts were automatically seeded into pot 1. The other 14 qualified teams were ranked based on their performances during the previous three Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. For each of the last three African Cup of Nations final tournaments, the following system of points is adopted for the qualified countries: Moreover, a

neg: 1995 Rugby World Cup the semi-finals to reach the final; New Zealand defeated Scotland in the quarter-finals, and England in the semi-finals, a game in which Jonah Lomu famously scored four tries for the All Blacks. The final was played at Ellis Park in Johannesburg and refereed by Ed Morrison of England. To this point, New Zealand had led the tournament in production, outscoring their opponents 315–104, while South Africa had outscored its opponents 129–55. The tight Springbok defence would keep the high scoring All Blacks in check – particularly Jonah Lomu and Marc Ellis, who had already scored a then World Cup record

neg: Ghana national football team football tournaments, becoming the first team from sub-Saharan Africa to qualify for the Games, and reaching the quarter-finals in 1964 and withdrawing on political grounds in 1976 later winning the 1982 African cup of nations. After three failures to reach the tournament final, the 1992 African Cup of Nations saw the Black Stars finish second. Prior to the year 2000, disharmony among the squad which eventually led to parliamentary and executive intervention to settle issues between two squad members, Abedi Pele and Anthony Yeboah in the late 1990s, may have played some part in the failure of the team to

neg: Amanda Coetzer a 32-match winning-streak for the German. At the Australian Open in 1996, Coetzer became the first South African woman in the Open era to reach a Grand Slam semi-final, where she lost in three sets to Anke Huber. 1997 was the best season of Coetzer's career. In reaching the Australian Open semi-finals for the second consecutive year, she defeated World No. 1 Graf in the fourth round. She then beat Graf for a second time in the quarter-finals at Berlin (it was her worst-ever loss: 6–0, 6–1 in just 56 minutes). And then, in the quarter-finals of the French Open,

neg: Germany Olympic football team games: countries could select professional players, but only those who hadn't played in the finals of the World Cup. As such, West Germany selected a team known locally as the "Olympiaauswahl" (Olympic selection), similar in make-up to the B international team. Initially West Germany failed to qualify for the 1984 games, but were granted a reprieve following the boycott by Eastern Bloc countries. A team including future World Cup winners Andreas Brehme and Guido Buchwald reached the quarter-finals, losing 5–2 against Yugoslavia. West Germany qualified for the 1988 Olympics, where they achieved their best ever result: third place. Having emerged

neg: Ireland national rugby sevens team Ireland's best finish was the inaugural 1993 tournament when they defeated opponents such as France and Samoa on the way to reaching the semifinals, before losing to Australia 19-21. Since the inaugural tournament, however, Ireland's performances were unremarkable in the four tournaments from 1997 to 2005, failing to reach the quarterfinals in four consecutive Sevens World Cups. Ireland did not qualify for the 2013 World Cup, failing to send a team to the 2012 Sevens Grand Prix qualifying tournaments. 1993 Group stage: Cup Quarter-finals: Cup Semi-final: 1997 First Group Stage: Second Group Stage: Bowl Quarter-final: Bowl Semi-final: 2001 Group Stage:

neg: 1999 Cricket World Cup 2nd semi-final they lost to Pakistan in the group stage of the 2011 World Cup). South Africa, on the other hand, maintained their trend of choking at the World Cup: in 1992 they had lost to England in the semi-finals when rain forced them to score 22 runs off the final ball, and in 1996 they had won all their group matches before losing to West Indies in the quarter-finals. South African coach Bob Woolmer resigned after this match. In 2007, shortly before his death, he revealed that Donald and most of his team-mates were in tears after the result and put

neg: Gu Li (Go player) defeated Han Sanghoon and Lee Sedol in the round of sixteen and quarter-finals respectively to reach the semi-finals of the 15th Samsung Cup, whilst the defending Champion Kong Jie was knocked out by Kim Jiseok. Gu won the 2010 Samsung Cup, defeating Heo Youngho of Korea, and moves on towards the 2012 Ing Cup to become the second player to win all major international titles (Although Lee Chang-ho is the first and so far only person to win all titles, including the defunct World Oza and Zhonghuan Cup, as well as the Tong Yang Cup). In 2014, Gu Li was

neg: Rugby World Cup hosts a part, saw games played in Agen, Bayonne, Béziers Brive, Grenoble, and Toulouse. None of the quarter-finals or semi-finals was played in England. The final was played at the Rugby Football Union's Twickenham. The 1995 World Cup was hosted and won by South Africa. The IRB broke new ground by awarding the tournament to an African nation, making it the first major sporting event ever held on the continent. This was also the first Rugby World Cup to be played entirely in one country. The tournament will probably be most remembered for two moments—the emergence of Jonah Lomu as a

neg: Ireland at the Rugby World Cup matches – Quarter-final Pool C matches – Quarter finals – Pool 5 matches – Quarter-final play off Group A matches – Pool D matches – Ireland qualified for the 2011 RWC automatically. Quarter-finals Quarter-finals The Rugby World Cup is held every four years, and tends to alternate between the northern and southern hemispheres. Every northern hemisphere tournament so far has been held in Europe, and in general Ireland usually hosts some games when it is held there. The 1991 Rugby World Cup final was played in England, while pool and finals games were played all over European nations. Pool A,

neg: Brendan Dolan reach the quarter-finals of the UK Open for the first time, where he lost 10–4 to Terry Jenkins. His second title of the season and fourth in sixth months came at the fifth Players Championship where he averaged 103.66 in whitewashing Michael Smith 6–0 in the final. In June, Dolan and Mansell beat Peter Wright and Robert Thornton from Scotland in the quarter-finals of the World Cup of Darts. In the semis, Dolan edged world number one Michael van Gerwen 4–3, but Mansell lost 4–0 to Van Barneveld to send the match into a deciding doubles game in which the

neg: Luc Agbala Modèle Lomé. He helped the club reach the semi-finals of the 1977 African Cup of Champions Clubs. Agbala made eleven appearances for the senior Togo national football team and participated in the 1972 African Cup of Nations finals, Togo's first. After he retired from playing football, Agbala took officiating courses and became an international referee. He officiated matches until 1992, including a 1986 World Cup qualifier between Sierra Leone and Morocco. He also was the executive director of the Stade Omnisports de Lomé. Agbala died in Paris at age 63 on 18 October 2010. Luc Agbala Luc Agbala Watékou (23

neg: France at the Rugby World Cup ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- Pool Stage Quarter final The Rugby World Cup is held every four years, and tends to alternate between the northern and southern hemispheres. Every northern hemisphere tournament so far has been held in Europe, and in general, France usually hosts some games when it is held there. England was main host in 1991, but other countries hosted some matches. France hosted Pool D, and two of the quarter-finals. The following French stadiums were used (quarter final locations emboldened). Wales was main host in 1999. Pool C games were hosted in France. The following French

neg: 2009 African U-17 Championship group ended, Niger was ejected from the competition for fielding an over-aged player. Their results were expunged from the standings. 2009 African U-17 Championship The 2009 African U-17 Championship was a football competition organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The tournament took place in Algeria. The top four teams qualified for the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup. Nigeria, automatically qualified as the hosts, didn't qualify for the Finals, although if they qualified for the Finals and went on to reach the semi-finals, then the teams who finished third in their respective groups would have met in a playoff

neg: 2016–17 FA Cup potentially a penalty shootout at this stage rather than to a replay, and that a fourth substitute would have been permitted in extra time. The round included Lincoln City from Level 5, who became the first non-league club to reach the quarter-finals since 1914. The four winners of the quarter-finals progressed to the semi-finals. The semi-final draw took place at Stamford Bridge on 13 March following the quarter-final tie between Chelsea and Manchester United. The semi-finals were played at Wembley Stadium on 22 and 23 April 2017. The following is the bracket which the FA Cup resembled. Numbers in parentheses

neg: Gary Anderson (darts player) at the World Cup. Gary ended the 2017 season with a loss to finalist Phil Taylor in the quarter-finals of the 2018 World Championship, failing to reach the finals for the first time in 4 years. With Rob Cross breaking into the top 3 in Order of Merit with his World Championship victory over Taylor, Anderson would play the 2018 season ranked 4th in the world. This would queue him up for a series of semi-finals matches against Michael van Gerwen, the first of which would be a 5–11 loss in the Masters. Anderson returned 2 weeks later to win

neg: Legia Warsaw of Poland for the third time in their history, and ended their Polish Cup campaign in the quarter-finals. For the second year in a row the club competed in the European Club Champions Cup, where it reached the quarter-finals, dropping out against Atlético Madrid (2–1 and 0–1). They previously eliminated IFK Gothenburg (4–0, 2–1) and Standard Liège (0–1, 2–0). From December 1971 to February 1972, Legia went on a tour of Spain and the countries of South America, including Ecuador, Costa Rica and Colombia – this was the first time the team had visited this part of the world. In

neg: Segun Toriola João N'Tyamba of Angola and Maria Mutola of Mozambique as only third ever African athlete to compete in so many Summer Olympics. 2018 ITTF African-Cup Toriola competed in the 2018 IITF African-Cup, placing first in group 4, allowing him to qualify for the Quarter Finals. In the Quarter Finals, Toriola faced and was defeated by Congolese player Saheed Idowu (2-4) resulting in Toriola's elimination. In the placement rounds, Toriola defeated both Thameur Mamia (3-2) and Sami Kheroff (3-1) to finish the tournament at 5th place. Legacy Segun Toriola's name is synonymous with Nigerian and African Table Tennis. Having won numerous

neg: Guinea national football team them to qualify instead of Guinea. During the 1976 African Cup of Nations the Guinean team finished second to Morocco, only missing out on the championship by a point. In 2001, FIFA expelled the country from the qualification process of the 2002 World Cup and 2002 African Cup of Nations due to government interference in football. Momo Sylla was to blame for this. They returned to international action in September 2002 after a two-year ban from competition. In the 2004 African Cup of Nations, Guinea reached the quarter-finals, scoring the first goal against Mali before ultimately losing 2–1, conceding the

neg: Belgium national football team Euro appearance, their first, they eliminated reigning European champions Italy by winning the two-legged quarter-final on aggregate. At the end stage, they finished third by winning the consolation match against Hungary. In 1973, the denial of a match-winning goal in their last 1974 FIFA World Cup qualification match for UEFA Group 3 cost Belgium their appearance at the finals, causing Belgium to become the only nation ever to miss a World Cup final round despite not allowing a goal during the qualifiers. The next two attempts to reach a major finals were also fruitless. Beginning with a second-place finish at

neg: 2021 Rugby League World Cup qualifying Netherlands are the only such nation that opted to not participate. England are the only European team to have been guaranteed qualification, with France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, and Wales all failing to reach the quarter finals of the 2017 World Cup. With the World Cup expanding to 16 teams in 2021, one extra European slot is available in comparison to the 2017 tournament. While the elite division of the 2018 European Rugby League Championship will see the top two teams qualify directly for the World Cup, the other European places will be decided in a play-off containing team from each

neg: 1990 FIFA World Cup Irish side won 5–4 on penalties. David O'Leary converted the penalty that clinched Ireland's place in the quarter-finals. Ireland thus became the first team since Sweden in 1938 to reach the last eight in a World Cup finals tournament without winning a match outright. Yugoslavia beat Spain 2–1 after extra time, with Dragan Stojković scoring both the Yugoslavs' goals. England were the final qualifier against Belgium, as midfielder David Platt's swivelling volley broke the stalemate with the game moments away from a penalty shoot-out. The first game of the last 8 saw Argentina and a Yugoslav side, reduced to 10

neg: 2007 Rugby World Cup Pool A try. Both South Africa and England went on to reach the final of the tournament, which South Africa won by 15 points to 6. "All times local (UTC+2)" 2007 Rugby World Cup Pool A Pool A of the 2007 Rugby World Cup began on 8 September and was completed on 30 September. The pool was composed of 2003 World Cup winners England, as well as Samoa, South Africa, Tonga and United States. Pool A threw up few surprises, with both South Africa and England qualifying for the quarter-finals, as expected. Third place went to Tonga, who beat the USA and

neg: 1928 Stanley Cup Finals 1928 Stanley Cup Finals The 1928 Stanley Cup Finals was played by the New York Rangers and the Montreal Maroons. It was the first appearance by the Rangers in the Finals and was their first victory of the Stanley Cup in only their second season. This was the second Stanley Cup victory by an American team, the first being the Seattle Metropolitans in the 1917 Stanley Cup Finals. The Montreal Maroons defeated the Ottawa Senators in the quarter-finals total-goals series 3–1. The Maroons then defeated the Montreal Canadiens in the semi-finals total-goals series 3–2 to reach the Finals. The New

neg: Al-Shorta SC match of the season. This qualified Al-Shorta to the 1998 Perseverance Cup (now known as Iraqi Super Cup) where they would play cup winners Al-Zawraa but they were defeated 1–0. This season also saw them reach the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup Winners' Cup, earning wins over Al-Seeb and Bargh Shiraz before their quarter-final exit. Al-Shorta reached the quarter-finals of the 1999–2000 Asian Club Championship (later to be known as the AFC Champions League), just missing out on a semi-final spot in what was another respectable tournament for the club. The first few years of the 2000s brought both joy

neg: Mbala Mbuta Biscotte he helped the Congo qualify for the 2006 African Nations Cup. Biscotte played in every match in the 2006 African Nations Cup where the Congo made it to the quarter-finals. Perhaps his most famous moment was against South Africa in 2004 for 2006 World Cup/African Nations Cup qualifying. In the 87th minute he made a mazy run around numerous defenders deep in South Africa's end that set up Kabamba Musasa for a tap in goal that gave the DR Congo a 1–0 victory.Because of that victory the fan named him Pied de Jesus (Jesus' foot) and also named him sauvons

neg: Agustín Pichot Pichot would be capped six times during the 1998 international season, including playing France three times, as well as playing matches against Italy, Romania and Wales, scoring tries in the games against Wales and Romania. In the lead up to the 1999 Rugby World Cup in Wales Pichot played two Tests against the hosts in June, and Tests against Scotland and Ireland that August, scoring a try in the Test against Ireland. He played five matches during the World Cup, and helped the Pumas reach the quarter-finals. Argentina played France in their quarter-final, which France won 26–47, Pichot being one

neg: Javier Aguirre their last hexagonal game against Trinidad and Tobago, they tied 2–2, ending the World Cup qualifying journey. On 30 June 2010, Aguirre resigned as coach of Mexico following their failure to reach the quarter-finals of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Mexico finished second in Group A, ahead of hosts South Africa and France, but their progress was halted in the second round where they were defeated 3–1 by Argentina. Aguirre's decision-making during the qualifying stages and during the World Cup garnered criticism, with ESPN broadcaster José Ramón Fernández calling him the worst coach at the World Cup

neg: FIFA World Cup of 16 (or the second round) in which the winner of each group plays against the runner-up of another group. This is followed by the quarter-finals, the semi-finals, the third-place match (contested by the losing semi-finalists), and the final. On 10 January 2017, FIFA approved a new format, the 48-team World Cup (to accommodate more teams), which consists of 16 groups of three teams each, with two teams qualifying from each group, to form a round of 32 knockout stage, to be implemented by 2026. Early World Cups were given to countries at meetings of FIFA's congress. The locations were

neg: Brazil at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in World Cup history to 223, surpassing Brazil's 221 goals to first place overall. The two teams had met in 11 previous meetings, including four times in the FIFA World Cup: Netherlands won 2–0 in the second group stage of the 1974 World Cup and 2–1 in the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup, and Brazil won 3–2 in the quarter-finals of the 1994 World Cup and 4–2 on penalties after a 1–1 draw (after extra time) in the semi-finals of the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Brazil made six changes in their starting line-up from their semi-final, while the Netherlands