Games of the XXI. Olympiad

Football Qualifying Tournament

(Montreal, Canada, 1976)

The 16 participants to consist of: The final list of qualified countries.

EUROPE

4 countries to qualify

QUALIFYING ROUND

Iceland          bye
Austria          bye
Turkey           bye
France           bye

8 groups of 2 teams each. Winners proceed to the Qualifying Tournament.

Ireland          1-2 Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia   1-0 Ireland         (Czechoslovakia win 3-1 on aggregate)

West Germany     0-0 Spain
Spain            3-2 West Germany    (Spain win 3-2 on aggregate)

Finland          3-5 Norway
Norway           1-1 Finland         (Norway win 6-4 on aggregate)

Greece           0-1 East Germany
East Germany     4-0 Greece          (East Germany win 5-0 on aggregate)

Hungary          2-0 Bulgaria
Bulgaria         4-0 Hungary         (Bulgaria win 4-2 on aggregate)

Luxembourg       0-1 Netherlands
Netherlands      2-1 Luxembourg      (Netherlands win 3-1 on aggregate)

Romania          4-0 Denmark
Denmark          1-2 Romania         (Romania win 6-1 on aggregate)

Yugoslavia       1-1 Soviet Union
Soviet Union     3-0 Yugoslavia      (Soviet Union win 4-1 on aggregate)

QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT

4 groups with 3 teams each. Winner of each group to qualify for the Final
Tournament.

Group 1 [Soviet Union qualify]

Soviet Union     4-0 Norway          1. Soviet Union    4  4  0  0  10- 1  8
Norway           1-3 Soviet Union    2. Norway          4  1  1  2   5-10  3
Soviet Union     1-0 Iceland         3. Iceland         4  0  1  3   3- 7  1
Iceland          0-2 Soviet Union
Norway           3-2 Iceland
Iceland          1-1 Norway

Group 2 [East Germany qualify]

East Germany     0-0 Czechoslovakia  1. East Germany    4  2  2  0   4- 1  6
Czechoslovakia   1-1 East Germany    2. Czechoslovakia  4  1  3  0   6- 1  5
East Germany     1-0 Austria         3. Austria         4  0  1  3   0- 8  1
Austria          0-2 East Germany
Czechoslovakia   5-0 Austria
Austria          0-0 Czechoslovakia

Group 3 [Spain qualify]

Spain            2-1 Bulgaria        1. Spain           4  2  2  0   5- 2  6
Bulgaria         1-1 Spain           2. Bulgaria        4  2  1  1   7- 3  5
Spain            2-0 Turkey          3. Turkey          4  0  1  3   0- 7  1
Turkey           0-0 Spain
Bulgaria         3-0 Turkey
Turkey           0-2 Bulgaria

Group 4 [France qualify]

France           4-0 Romania         1. France          4  3  0  1  11- 5  6
Romania          1-0 France          2. Romania         4  3  0  1   9- 5  6
France           4-2 Netherlands     3. Netherlands     4  0  0  4   5-15  0
Netherlands      2-3 France
Romania          5-1 Netherlands
Netherlands      0-3 Romania

SOUTH AMERICA

2 countries to qualify

6-team tournament played in Recife, Brazil. Winner and runner-up to qualify 
for the Final Tournament. [Brazil and Uruguay qualify]

Brazil           1-1 Uruguay         1. Brazil          5  4  1  0  12- 2  9
Colombia         0-1 Peru            2. Uruguay         5  2  3  0   9- 4  7
Argentina        2-1 Chile           3. Argentina       5  2  1  2   7- 8  5
Argentina        3-1 Peru            4. Colombia        5  1  2  2   5- 9  4
Brazil           4-0 Colombia        5. Chile           5  1  1  3   5- 7  3
Uruguay          1-1 Chile           6. Peru            5  1  0  4   3-11  2
Uruguay          3-0 Peru
Brazil           2-1 Chile 
Argentina        2-2 Colombia
Uruguay          2-0 Argentina   
Brazil           3-0 Peru     
Colombia         1-0 Chile
Chile            2-1 Peru
Uruguay          2-2 Colombia
Brazil           2-0 Argentina    

NB: Newell's Old Boys of Rosario represented Argentina.
    Uruguay withdrew from the final tournament on June 8, 1976;
    Argentina were invited to replace them but declined and the place
    eventually went to Cuba (best CONCACAF non-qualifiers).

NORTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA

Match Details

2 countries to qualify

PRELIMINARY ROUND

3 groups of 2 teams each. Winners proceed to First Round.

Barbados         1-1 Trinidad
Trinidad         0-0 Barbados

Playoff:
Barbados         1-3 Trinidad        (Trinidad win 4-2 on aggregate)

El Salvador      4-0 Nicaragua
Nicaragua        2-1 El Salvador     (El Salvador win 5-2 on aggregate)

Jamaica          1-0 Dominican Rep.
Dominican Rep.   1-2 Jamaica         (Jamaica win 3-1 on aggregate)

FIRST ROUND

Mexico           bye

5 groups of 2 teams eachs. Winners proceed to Second Round.

Bermuda          3-2 USA
USA              2-0 Bermuda         (USA win 4-3 on aggregate)

Costa Rica       1-0 El Salvador
El Salvador      1-2 Costa Rica      (Costa Rica win 3-1 on aggregate)

Cuba             1-0 Jamaica
Jamaica          1-0 Cuba

Playoff:
Cuba             4-1 Jamaica         (Cuba win 5-2 on aggregate)

Honduras         0-0 Guatemala
Guatemala        2-0 Honduras        (Guatemala win 2-0 on aggregate)

Surinam          2-0 Trinidad
Trinidad         1-1 Surinam         (Surinam win 3-1 on aggregate)

SECOND ROUND

3 groups of 2 teams each. Winners proceed to Third Round.

Costa Rica       1-1 Guatemala
Guatemala        2-1 Costa Rica      (Guatemala win 3-2 on aggregate)

Mexico           8-0 USA
USA              2-4 Mexico          (Mexico win 12-2 on aggregate)

Surinam          0-1 Cuba
Cuba             6-1 Surinam         (Cuba win 7-1 on aggregate)

THIRD ROUND

Winner and runner-up to qualify for the Final Tournament. [Mexico and 
Guatemala qualify]

Mexico           4-1 Guatemala       1. Mexico          4  2  1  1  11- 7  5
Guatemala        3-2 Mexico          2. Guatemala       4  1  2  1   6- 8  4
Mexico           4-2 Cuba            3. Cuba            4  0  3  1   5- 7  3
Cuba             1-1 Mexico
Guatemala        1-1 Cuba
Cuba             1-1 Guatemala

NB: after the withdrawal in June of Uruguay and Argentina's refusal to
    replace them, Cuba were invited to enter the Final Tournament as 
    well and did so.

AFRICA


3 countries to qualify

FIRST ROUND

12 groups of 2 teams each. Winners proceed to Second Round.

Algeria          1-1 Tunesia
Tunesia          2-1 Algeria         (Tunesia win 3-2 on aggregate)

Egypt            1-1 Sudan
Sudan            1-0 Egypt           (Sudan win 2-1 on aggregate)

Ethiopia         0-0 Tanzania
Tanzania         3-0 Ethiopia        (Tanzania win 3-0 on aggregate)

Gambia           0-1 Guinea
Guinea           6-0 Gambia          (Guinea win 7-0 on aggregate)

Ghana            6-0 Liberia
Liberia          1-4 Ghana           (Ghana win 10-1 on aggregate)

Malawi           vs. Madagascar      (Malawi walk-over; Madagascar withdrew)

Mali             6-0 Mauritania
Mauritania       0-1 Mali            (Mali win 7-0 on aggregate)

Morocco          2-1 Libya
Libya            0-1 Morocco         (Morocco win 3-1 on aggregate)

Nigeria          vs. Cameroon        (Nigeria walk-over; Cameroon withdrew)

Senegal          1-0 Togo
Togo             1-1 Senegal         (Senegal win 2-1 on aggregate)

Zaire            4-1 Upper Volta
Upper Volta      1-2 Zaire           (Zaire win 6-2 on aggregate)

Zambia           5-0 Mauritius
Mauritius        0-4 Zambia          (Zambia win 9-0 on aggregate)

SECOND ROUND

6 groups of 2 teams each. Winners proceed to Third Round.

Guinea           1-0 Ghana
Ghana            6-2 Guinea          (Ghana win 6-3 on aggregate)

Malawi           1-1 Zambia
Zambia           4-1 Malawi          (Zambia win 5-2 on aggregate)

Nigeria          vs. Mali            (Nigeria walk-over; Mali withdrew)

Senegal          3-1 Zaire
Zaire            2-0 Senegal         (Senegal win 5-4 pen.; 3-3 on aggregate)

Tanzania         1-0 Sudan
Sudan            2-0 Tanzania        (Sudan win 2-1 on aggregate)

Tunesia          0-1 Morocco
Morocco          1-0 Tunesia         (Morocco win 2-0 on aggregate)

THIRD ROUND [Nigeria, Ghana and Zambia qualify]

3 groups of 2 teams each. Winners qualify for the Final Tournament.

Nigeria          3-1 Morocco
Morocco          1-0 Nigeria         (Nigeria qualify 3-2 on aggregate)

Senegal          0-0 Ghana
Ghana            2-1 Senegal         (Ghana qualify 2-1 on aggregate)

Zambia           2-2 Sudan
Sudan            0-0 Zambia          (Zambia qualify 5-4 on pen.; 2-2 on
                                      aggregate)


NB: as part of a general African boycott of the Olympics protesting
    the participation of New Zealand (whose rugby team planned a summer
    tour of South Africa in spite of the Soweto massacre), the three
    African participants withdrew a day before the start of the Games
    and were not replaced.

ASIA


3 countries to qualify

QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT

3 groups of which 2 have 5 teams each and 1 has 6 teams. Winner of each group
to qualify for the Final Tournament.

Group 1, played in Teheran, Iran [Iran qualify]
Lebanon withdrew (one week before the group matches began); Kuwait was a late entry after 
the initial draw; the late entry of Sri Lanka was rejected.
Iran             1-1 Kuwait          1. Iran            4  3  1  0   8- 1  7
Iran             1-0 Iraq            2. Kuwait          4  2  1  1   8- 6  5
Iran             3-0 Saudi Arabia    3. Iraq            4  2  0  2   6- 4  4
Iran             3-0 Bahrain         4. Saudi Arabia    4  2  0  2   5- 7  4
Kuwait           1-2 Iraq            5. Bahrain         4  0  0  4   1-10  0
Kuwait           4-2 Saudi Arabia
Kuwait           2-1 Bahrain
Iraq             0-2 Saudi Arabia
Iraq             4-0 Bahrain
Saudi Arabia     1-0 Bahrain

Group 2, played in Djakarta, Indonesia [North Korea qualify]
Bangladesh, India and Thailand all withdrew
Australia was to play vs Papua New Guinea in a preliminary round, the winner to advance to
Group 2, but Australia withdrew.
North Korea      2-1 Indonesia       1. North Korea     4  4  0  0  10- 1  8
North Korea      2-0 Malaysia        2. Indonesia       4  2  1  1  11- 5  5
North Korea      2-0 Singapore       3. Malaysia        4  2  0  2  17- 5  4
North Korea      4-0 Papua N. Guinea 4. Singapore       4  1  1  2   7-12  3
Indonesia        2-1 Malaysia        5. Papua N. Guinea 4  0  0  4   7-29  0
Indonesia        0-0 Singapore
Indonesia        8-2 Papua N. Guinea
Malaysia         6-0 Singapore
Malaysia        10-1 Papua N. Guinea
Singapore        7-4 Papua N. Guinea
Group 2 Final
North Korea      0-0 Indonesia       (North Korea win 5-4 on pen)

Group 3 [Israel qualify]

FIRST ROUND

3 groups of 2 teams each. Winners proceed to Second Round.

Japan            3-0 Philippines
Philippines      0-3 Japan           (Japan win 6-0 on aggregate)

Taiwan           0-2 South Korea
South Korea      3-0 Taiwan          (South Korea win 5-0 on aggregate)

Israel           vs. South Vietnam   (Israel walk-over; South Vietnam withdrew)

SECOND ROUND

Israel           0-0 South Korea     1. Israel          4  3  1  0  10- 2  7
South Korea      1-3 Israel          2. South Korea     4  1  2  1   5- 5  4
Israel           4-1 Japan           3. Japan           4  0  1  3   3-11  1
Japan            0-3 Israel
South Korea      2-2 Japan
Japan            0-2 South Korea

QUALIFIED COUNTRIES

Automatically    Canada (hosts), Poland (holders)
Europe           Soviet Union, East Germany, Spain, France
South America    Brazil, Uruguay
North and
Central America  Mexico, Guatemala
Africa           Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia
Asia             Iran, North Korea, Israel

Uruguay withdrew in June 1976 and were eventually replaced by Cuba
(after Argentina declined the invitation to replace them).
The African representatives, Nigeria, Ghana and Zambia all withdrew
a day before the start of the Games and were not replaced; thus, the
competition was reduced to 13 teams.


About this document

With thanks to José Batalha and Neil Morrison

Prepared and maintained by Søren Elbech for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation

Author: Søren Elbech
Last updated: 1 Aug 2022

(C) Copyright Søren Elbech and RSSSF 1997/2022
You are free to copy this document in whole or part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the author. All rights reserved.