| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 31 May 1996 – 17 August 1997 | 
| Teams | 36 (from 1 confederation) | 
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 91 | 
| Goals scored | 229 (2.52 per match) | 
| Attendance | 2,810,227 (30,882 per match) | 
| Top scorer(s) |  Paulão  Mamadou Zongo  Mike Okoth Origi  Vitalis Takawira (5 goals) | 
| Qualification for championships (CAF) | 
|---|

Listed below are the dates and results for the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the African zone (CAF). For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification.
A total of 38 CAF teams entered the competition. However, Mali and Niger both withdrew before the draw was made. The African Zone was allocated five places (out of 32) in the final tournament.
Summary
There would be two rounds of play:
- First Round: Cameroon, Nigeria, Morocco and Egypt, the four highest-ranked teams according to FIFA, received byes and advanced to the Final Round directly. The remaining 32 teams were paired up to play knockout matches on a home-and-away basis. The winners would advance to the Final Round.
- Final Round: The 20 teams were divided into five groups of four teams each. The teams would play against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winners would qualify. These were:
First round
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mauritania .svg.png.webp) | 0–2 |  Burkina Faso | 0–0 | 0–2 | 
| Namibia  | 3–1 |  Mozambique | 2–0 | 1–1 | 
| Malawi  | 0–4 |  South Africa | 0–1 | 0–3 | 
| Uganda  | 1–5 |  Angola | 0–2 | 1–3 | 
| Guinea-Bissau  | 4–5 |  Guinea | 3–2 | 1–3 | 
| Gambia  | 2–5 |  Liberia | 2–1 | 0–4 | 
| Swaziland  | 0–3 |  Gabon | 0–1 | 0–2 | 
| Burundi  | 2–0 |  Sierra Leone | 1–0 | 1–0 | 
| Madagascar  | 3–4 |  Zimbabwe | 1–2 | 2–2 | 
| Congo  | 3–1 |  Ivory Coast | 2–0 | 1–1 | 
| Mauritius  | 1–7 | .svg.png.webp) Zaire | 1–5 | 0–2 | 
| Rwanda .svg.png.webp) | 1–5 | .svg.png.webp) Tunisia | 1–3 | 0–2 | 
| Kenya  | 3–2 |  Algeria | 3–1 | 0–1 | 
| Togo  | 3–2 |  Senegal | 2–1 | 1–1 | 
| Sudan  | 2–3 |  Zambia | 2–0 | 0–3 | 
| Tanzania  | 1–2 |  Ghana | 0–0 | 1–2 | 
First leg
| Namibia  | 2–0 |  Mozambique | 
|---|---|---|
| Hoeseb  28' Ortmann  80' | Report | 
| Malawi  | 0–1 |  South Africa | 
|---|---|---|
| Report | Tinkler  21' | 
| Guinea-Bissau  | 3–2 |  Guinea | 
|---|---|---|
| Tavares  11', 36' Co  60' (pen.) | Report | Camara  53', 54' | 
| Burundi  | 1–0 |  Sierra Leone | 
|---|---|---|
| Wambo  85' | Report | 
| Madagascar  | 1–2 |  Zimbabwe | 
|---|---|---|
| Raoelijaona  85' | Report | Sawu  79' Takawira  89' | 
| Congo  | 2–0 |  Ivory Coast | 
|---|---|---|
| Niere  42' Miyamou  89' | Report | 
Second leg
| Burkina Faso  | 2–0 | .svg.png.webp) Mauritania | 
|---|---|---|
| Ouédraogo  44' Traore  81' | Report | 
Burkina Faso won 2–0 on aggregate
| Mozambique  | 1–1 |  Namibia | 
|---|---|---|
| Macamo  25' | Report | Khob  84' | 
Namibia won 3–1 on aggregate
| South Africa  | 3–0 |  Malawi | 
|---|---|---|
| Bartlett  4', 42' Fish  38' | Report | 
South Africa won 4–0 on aggregate
Angola won 5–1 on aggregate
| Guinea  | 3–1 |  Guinea-Bissau | 
|---|---|---|
| Soumah  33', 59' Bangoura  61' | Report | Co  47' | 
Guinea won 5–4 on aggregate
Liberia won 5–2 on aggregate
Gabon won 3–0 on aggregate
| Sierra Leone  | 0–1 |  Burundi | 
|---|---|---|
| Report | Mbuyi  30' | 
Burundi won 2–0 on aggregate but withdrew before the Final Round started, so their place was given to Sierra Leone.
| Zimbabwe  | 2–2 |  Madagascar | 
|---|---|---|
| Zviripayi  52' Takawira  69' | Report | R. Rasoanaivo  23' H. Rasoanaivo  67' | 
Zimbabwe won 4–3 on aggregate
| Ivory Coast  | 1–1 |  Congo | 
|---|---|---|
| Dao  29' | Report | Imboula  85' | 
Congo won 3–1 on aggregate
Zaire won 7–1 on aggregate
Tunisia won 5–1 on aggregate
Kenya won 3–2 on aggregate
Togo won 3–2 on aggregate
Zambia won 3–2 on aggregate
Ghana won 2–1 on aggregate
Final round
Key:
- Teams highlighted in green qualified for the finals.
Group 1
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|  Nigeria | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 13 | 
|  Guinea | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 
|  Kenya | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 12 | −1 | 10 | 
|  Burkina Faso | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 17 | −10 | 0 | 
| Nigeria  | 2–0 |  Burkina Faso | 
|---|---|---|
| Amokachi  46', 77' | Report | 
| Kenya  | 1–1 |  Nigeria | 
|---|---|---|
| Simiyu  22' | Report | Akpoborie  48' | 
| Burkina Faso  | 0–2 |  Guinea | 
|---|---|---|
| Report | Oularé  17' Soumah  44' | 
Group 2
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .svg.png.webp) Tunisia | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 16 | 
|  Egypt | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 
|  Liberia | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 10 | −8 | 4 | 
|  Namibia | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 17 | −11 | 4 | 
Group 3
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|  South Africa | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 
|  Congo | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 
|  Zambia | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 
| .svg.png.webp) DR Congo | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 9 | −5 | 2 | 
In May 1997, Zaire were renamed the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo DR).
| South Africa  | 1–0 | .svg.png.webp) Zaire | 
|---|---|---|
| Masinga  67' | Report | 
| Zambia  | 0–0 |  South Africa | 
|---|---|---|
| Report | 
| Congo  | 2–0 |  South Africa | 
|---|---|---|
| Younga-Mouhani  60', 64' | Report | 
| Congo  | 1–0 | .svg.png.webp) DR Congo | 
|---|---|---|
| Younga-Mouhani  60' | Report | 
| South Africa  | 1–0 |  Congo | 
|---|---|---|
| Masinga  14' | Report | 
Group 4
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|  Cameroon | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 14 | 
|  Angola | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 
|  Zimbabwe | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 4 | 
|  Togo | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 14 | −8 | 4 | 
| Togo  | 2–4 |  Cameroon | 
|---|---|---|
| Noutsoudje  50' Salou  83' (pen.) | Report | Tchami  10', 24', 55' Missé-Missé  63' | 
Group 5
Gabon vs Sierra Leone was not played, since neither team could advance with a win.
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|  Morocco | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 2 | 12 | 16 | 
|  Sierra Leone | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 7 | 
|  Ghana | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 
|  Gabon | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 11 | −10 | 1 | 
| Sierra Leone  | 1–0 |  Gabon | 
|---|---|---|
| Kanu  46' | Report | 
Match abandoned after 53 minutes due to crowd trouble. FIFA allowed the result to stand
| Sierra Leone  | 0–1 |  Morocco | 
|---|---|---|
| Report | Bassir  40' | 
| Gabon  | P–P |  Sierra Leone | 
|---|---|---|
| Report | 
Match postponed due to Sierra Leone not being able to travel from Freetown due to conflict. The match was never rearranged due to the result having no effect on final group standings
| Ghana  | 0–2 |  Sierra Leone | 
|---|---|---|
| Report | Amidu  14' Kallon  47' | 
Qualified teams
The following five teams from CAF qualified for the final tournament.
| Team | Qualified as | Qualified on | Previous appearances in FIFA World Cup1 | 
|---|---|---|---|
|  Nigeria | Final Round Group 1 winners | 7 June 1997 | 1 (1994) | 
| .svg.png.webp) Tunisia | Final Round Group 2 winners | 8 June 1997 | 1 (1978) | 
|  South Africa | Final Round Group 3 winners | 16 August 1997 | 0 (debut) | 
|  Cameroon | Final Round Group 4 winners | 17 August 1997 | 3 (1982, 1990, 1994) | 
|  Morocco | Final Round Group 5 winners | 8 June 1997 | 3 (1970, 1986, 1994) | 
- 1 Bold indicates champions for that year. Italic indicates hosts for that year.
Goalscorers
There were 229 goals scored in 91 matches, for an average of 2.52 goals per match.
- 5 goals
- 4 goals
- 3 goals
- 2 goals
 Paulo Jorge da Silva Paulo Jorge da Silva
 Bernard Tchoutang Bernard Tchoutang
 Olivier Niere Olivier Niere
 Hady Khashaba Hady Khashaba
 Mohammed Gargo Mohammed Gargo
 Samuel Johnson Samuel Johnson
 Souleymane Oularé Souleymane Oularé
 Cipriano Co Cipriano Co
 Pereira Tavares Pereira Tavares
 Musa Otieno Musa Otieno
 Kennedy Simiyu Kennedy Simiyu
 Maurice Sunguti Maurice Sunguti
 James Debbah James Debbah
 George Weah George Weah
 Mohammed Ouseb Mohammed Ouseb
 Eliphas Shivute Eliphas Shivute
 Gervatius Uri Khob Gervatius Uri Khob
 Emmanuel Amunike Emmanuel Amunike
 Shaun Bartlett Shaun Bartlett
 Bachirou Salou Bachirou Salou
 Kossi Noutsoudje Kossi Noutsoudje
 Djima Oyawolé Djima Oyawolé
 Khaled Badra Khaled Badra
.svg.png.webp) Elos Elonga-Ekakia Elos Elonga-Ekakia
.svg.png.webp) Michel Ngonge Michel Ngonge
.svg.png.webp) Mbuleya Tondelva Mbuleya Tondelva
 Frazer Kamwandi Frazer Kamwandi
 Dennis Lota Dennis Lota
 Andrew Tembo Andrew Tembo
- 1 goal
 Abdelhafid Tasfaout Abdelhafid Tasfaout
 Sid Ahmed Zerrouki Sid Ahmed Zerrouki
 Fernando Manuel Sousa Fernando Manuel Sousa
 Joaquim Alberto Silva Joaquim Alberto Silva
 Kassoum Ouédraogo Kassoum Ouédraogo
 Firmin Sanou Firmin Sanou
 Ousmane Sanou Ousmane Sanou
 Brahima Traore Brahima Traore
 Jean-Marie Mbuyi Jean-Marie Mbuyi
 Sutche Wambo Sutche Wambo
 Jean-Jacques Missé-Missé Jean-Jacques Missé-Missé
 Christian Bongo Christian Bongo
 Charles Imboula Charles Imboula
 Sousa Miyamou Sousa Miyamou
 Lassina Dao Lassina Dao
 Hazem Emam Hazem Emam
 Hesham Hanafy Hesham Hanafy
 Ahmed Hassan Ahmed Hassan
 Ibrahim Hassan Ibrahim Hassan
 Samir Kamouna Samir Kamouna
 Abdel Sattar Sabry Abdel Sattar Sabry
 Brice Mackaya Brice Mackaya
 Anicet Yala Ngoukou Anicet Yala Ngoukou
 Théodore Nzue Nguema Théodore Nzue Nguema
 Jonas Ogandaga Jonas Ogandaga
 Abdul Aziz Corr Abdul Aziz Corr
 Ebrima Ebou Sillah Ebrima Ebou Sillah
 Felix Aboagye Felix Aboagye
 Augustine Ahinful Augustine Ahinful
 Arthur Moses Arthur Moses
 Abedi Pele Abedi Pele
 Tibou Bangoura Tibou Bangoura
 Vincent Kwarula Vincent Kwarula
 Henry Motego Henry Motego
 Francis Were Francis Were
 Robert Clarke Robert Clarke
 Prince Daye Prince Daye
 Oliver Makor Oliver Makor
 Jiana Raoelijaona Jiana Raoelijaona
 Etienne Hajason Rasoanaivo Etienne Hajason Rasoanaivo
 Etienne Rado Rasoanaivo Etienne Rado Rasoanaivo
 Antoine Mocude Antoine Mocude
 Youssef Fertout Youssef Fertout
 El Arbi Hababi El Arbi Hababi
 Mustapha Hadji Mustapha Hadji
 Noureddine Naybet Noureddine Naybet
 Armando Macamo Armando Macamo
 Ewald Hoeseb Ewald Hoeseb
 Johannes Ortmann Johannes Ortmann
 Simon Uutoni Simon Uutoni
 Mutiu Adepoju Mutiu Adepoju
 Jonathan Akpoborie Jonathan Akpoborie
 Sunday Oliseh Sunday Oliseh
 Wilson Oruma Wilson Oruma
.svg.png.webp) Leon Mupenzi Leon Mupenzi
 Mamadou Diallo Mamadou Diallo
 Omar Traoré Omar Traoré
 Jamiru Amidu Jamiru Amidu
 Lamin Conteh Lamin Conteh
 Mohamed Kallon Mohamed Kallon
 Abu Kanu Abu Kanu
 Mark Fish Mark Fish
 Doctor Khumalo Doctor Khumalo
 Helman Mkhalele Helman Mkhalele
 Eric Tinkler Eric Tinkler
 Mark Williams Mark Williams
 Khalid Ahmed Elmustafa Khalid Ahmed Elmustafa
 Anas Elnour Anas Elnour
 Mohamed Daima Mohamed Daima
 Kokouni Akpalo Gnavor Kokouni Akpalo Gnavor
 Lantame Ouadja Lantame Ouadja
 Tadjou Salou Tadjou Salou
 Mehdi Ben Slimane Mehdi Ben Slimane
 Hédi Berkhissa Hédi Berkhissa
 Taoufik Herichi Taoufik Herichi
 Riadh Jelassi Riadh Jelassi
 Jameleddine Limam Jameleddine Limam
 Skander Souayah Skander Souayah
 Robert Kizito Robert Kizito
.svg.png.webp) Epotele Bazamba Epotele Bazamba
.svg.png.webp) Emeka Mamale Emeka Mamale
.svg.png.webp) Nzelo Hervé Lembi Nzelo Hervé Lembi
.svg.png.webp) Étienne N'tsunda Étienne N'tsunda
.svg.png.webp) Zico Tumba Zico Tumba
 Johnson Bwalya Johnson Bwalya
 Kenneth Malitoli Kenneth Malitoli
 Mwape Miti Mwape Miti
 Vincent Mutale Vincent Mutale
 Kennedy Chihuri Kennedy Chihuri
 Edelbert Dinha Edelbert Dinha
 Adam Ndlovu Adam Ndlovu
 Agent Sawu Agent Sawu
 Cloudious Zviripayi Cloudious Zviripayi
- 1 own goal
 Mohamadi Balma (playing against Guinea) Mohamadi Balma (playing against Guinea)
 Abubakar Kamara (playing against Ghana) Abubakar Kamara (playing against Ghana)