ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

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The 1986-1988 pre-Olympic football tournament was designed to identify the 15 nations qualified to participate in the final football tournament, held at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. South Korea is qualified as an ex officio host country and thus completes the total of the final phase because, gold medallist and title holder, France is nevertheless forced to participate in the playoffs.

Of the 114 nations initially registered, 98 countries from six continents actually took part in the qualifying matches, which took place from 1 to , and were divided among the six confederations as follows:
27 European teams (UEFA)
10 teams from South America (CONMEBOL)
15 teams from North and Central America (CONCACAF)
20 Asian teams (AFC)
5 teams from Oceania (OFC)
21 teams from Africa (CAF)

This edition of the Games was marked by the boycott of North Korea, which wanted to be involved in the organization in the same way as its "sister-enemy" of the South; Cuba, Ethiopia and Nicaragua will not travel to Seoul either out of solidarity, and some other delegations will also refuse to participate in this event, but for more obscure reasons.

Suriname, South Yemen, North Yemen, India, Brunei, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Madagascar, Mauritius, Guinea, Ethiopia, the Gambia and Libya declare a package without dispute, while Mexico and North Korea are disqualified.

Skilled countries

Results of qualifications by confederation
In the group qualification phases contested under the championship system, in the event of the tie of points of several teams at the end of the last day, the following criteria shall be applied in the order indicated to establish their ranking:
Best difference in goals,
More goals scored.

In the direct elimination system with round-trip matches, in case of a perfect tie to the combined score of both matches, the following measures are applicable:
Organization of extensions and, if necessary, a shooting session to the goal, if both teams are still equal at the end of the extensions, and
The outside goal rule is in effect.

Europe (UEFA)

The European qualifying tournament at the 1988 Summer Olympic Games was held from between five hens of five teams. Two separate preliminary rounds were held to decide who Cyprus or Greece and Liechtenstein or Switzerland would join the other four nations, respectively, of Group A and D. Following these playoffs, West Germany, Italy, Sweden, the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia won their Olympic tournament participation. A gold medallist and title holder, France is nevertheless forced to participate in the qualifications and is thus the first nation to not participate in the