Listed below are the dates and results for the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the Oceanian zone (OFC). For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification.
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 16 September 1996 – 29 November 1997 |
| Teams | 10 (from 1 confederation) |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 24 |
| Goals scored | 88 (3.67 per match) |
| Attendance | 99,533 (4,147 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) |  Noel Berry (7 goals) |
A total of 10 teams entered the competition. The Oceanian zone was allocated 0.5 places (out of 32) in the final tournament.
Format edit
There would be three rounds of play:
- First Round: Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tahiti, the four best ranked teams according to FIFA, received byes and advanced to the second round directly. The remaining 6 teams were divided into 2 groups of 3 teams each, namely the Melanesian Group and the Polynesian Group, based on geographical considerations. The teams played against each other once. The winner of the Melanesian Group would advance to the second round. The runner-up of the Melanesian Group and the winner of the Polynesian Group would advance to the first round play-off. In the play-off, they played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The winner would advance to the second round.
- Second round: The 6 teams were divided into 2 groups of 3 teams each. The teams played against each other twice. The group winners would advance to the Final Round.
- Final round: The 2 teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The winner would advance to the AFC / OFC intercontinental play-off.
First round edit
Melanesian group edit
| Rank | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Papua New Guinea
|
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 2 | Solomon Islands
|
2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 3 |  Vanuatu
|
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 1 |
| Papua New Guinea | 1–1 | Solomon Islands |
|---|---|---|
Daniel  15' |
(report) | Rukumana 71' |
| Solomon Islands | 1–1 | Vanuatu |
|---|---|---|
| Berry 16' |
(Report) | Naukoot 37' |
Papua New Guinea advanced to the second round. Solomon Islands advanced to the first round play-off.
Polynesian group edit
| Rank | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Tonga
|
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| 2 |  Western Samoa
|
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 3 |  Cook Islands
|
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | -3 | 0 |
| Tonga | 2–0 | Cook Islands |
|---|---|---|
| Moleni 20', 67' |
(report) |
| Western Samoa | 2–1 | Cook Islands |
|---|---|---|
| Tapunuu 10' Palusami 20' |
(report) | Stenter 68' |
| Tonga | 1–0 | Western Samoa |
|---|---|---|
| Vane 29' |
(report) |
Tonga advanced to the first round play-off.
Play-off edit
| Solomon Islands | 9–0 | Tonga |
|---|---|---|
| Berry 3', 41', 57' Rukumana 12'Wabo 37'Seni 61', 63', 74'Kiriau 66' |
(report) |
Solomon Islands advanced to the second round by the aggregate score of 13–0.
Second round edit
Group 1 edit
| Rank | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Australia
|
4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 2 | 24 | 12 |
| 2 | Solomon Islands
|
4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 21 | -14 | 4 |
| 3 |  Tahiti
|
4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 12 | -10 | 1 |
| Australia | 13–0 | Solomon Islands |
|---|---|---|
| Mori 2', 15', 36', 65', 80' Aloisi 33', 53', 81', 86', 87' Foster 68' Tapai 78' Bosnich 88' (pen.) |
(report) |
| Solomon Islands | 2–6 | Australia |
|---|---|---|
| Peli 59' Suri 65' |
(report) | Slater 15' Arnold 17' Kaierea 38' (o.g.) Tapai 47', 51' Vidmar 75' (pen.) |
| Tahiti | 1–1 | Solomon Islands |
|---|---|---|
| Rousseau 38' |
(report) | Kwaomae 43' |
Australia advanced to the Final Round.
Group 2 edit
| Rank | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  New Zealand
|
4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 12 | 9 |
| 2 |  Fiji
|
4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 | -3 | 6 |
| 3 | Papua New Guinea
|
4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 11 | -9 | 3 |
| Papua New Guinea | 1–0 | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|
| Niakuam 80' |
(report) |
| Fiji | 0–1 | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|
| (report) | Jackson 80' (pen.) |
| New Zealand | 7–0 | Papua New Guinea |
|---|---|---|
| Coveny 10', 13', 67' Rufer 22', 31' Elliott 40' Stevens 80' |
(report) |
| New Zealand | 5–0 | Fiji |
|---|---|---|
| Rufer 17', 77' Coveny 63' Viljoen 80' van Steeden 85' |
(report) |
| Papua New Guinea | 0–1 | Fiji |
|---|---|---|
| (report) | Driu 1' |
New Zealand advanced to the Final Round.
Final round edit
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand
|
0-5 | Australia
|
0-3 | 0-2 |
| Australia | 2–0 | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|
| Zelić 6' Arnold 54' |
(report) |
Australia advanced to the AFC / OFC intercontinental play-off by the aggregate score of 5–0.
Inter-confederation play-off edit
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Iran 
|
(a) 3–3 | Australia
|
1–1 | 2–2 |
Goalscorers edit
There were 88 goals scored in 24 matches (including 2 international play-offs), for an average of 3.67 goals per match.
- 7 goals
- 6 goals
- 5 goals
- 4 goals
- 3 goals
- 2 goals
Craig Foster- Harry Kewell
- Ned Zelic
George Kiriau- Augustine Peli
- Eddie Rukumana
Timote Moleni
- 1 goals
- Mark Bosnich
- Matthew Bingley
- Robbie Slater
Mani Stenter
Solome Pita- Esala Masinisau
- Liuai Duguga
- Alivate Driu
Chris Jackson- Simon Elliott
- Tim Stevens
- Riki van Steeden
- Nik Viljoen
Richard Daniel- Batman Furigi
- Roy Karang
- Francis Niakuam
- Wesley Waiwai
Michael Junior Palusami- T. Tapunuu
- Jeffrey Kwaomae
- Batram Suri
- Moses Toata
- Danny Wabo
Jean Ludivion- Jean-Loup Rousseau
- Tolutau Vane
Reginal Garo- Iau Tuan Naukoot
- 1 own goal
- Jimmy Kaierea (playing against Australia)