# 1998 FIFA World Cup Group C

At the 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 32 teams were divided into eight groups of four, labelled A–H. Group C was composed of Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Denmark and host nation and eventual world champion France.
Denmark and France started well, defeating Saudi Arabia and South Africa respectively. Next, France scored four to eliminate Saudi Arabia and qualify with a match to spare, while Denmark and South Africa drew. Needing a big win in their final game, against Saudi Arabia, South Africa conceded two penalties and could only draw, so Denmark still qualified despite losing their final game to France.

## Standings

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | France (H) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | +8 | 9 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Denmark | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 3 | South Africa | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | −3 | 2 | |
| 4 | Saudi Arabia | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | −5 | 1 | |
* France advanced to play Paraguay (runner-up of Group D) in the round of 16.
* Denmark advanced to play Nigeria (winner of Group D) in the round of 16.

## Matches
### Saudi Arabia vs Denmark

| Saudi Arabia | Denmark |
| GK | 1 | Mohamed Al-Deayea |
| DF | 2 | Mohammed Al-Jahani |
| DF | 3 | Mohammed Al-Khilaiwi |
| DF | 4 | Abdullah Zubromawi |
| DF | 13 | Hussein Sulaimani |
| MF | 6 | Fuad Anwar (c) | | 78' |
| MF | 7 | Ibrahim Al-Shahrani |
| MF | 14 | Khalid Al-Muwallid | 11' |
| MF | 16 | Khamis Al-Owairan |
| FW | 9 | Sami Al-Jaber | | 84' |
| FW | 10 | Saeed Al-Owairan | | 79' |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 20 | Hamzah Saleh | | 78' |
| FW | 8 | Obeid Al-Dosari | | 79' |
| FW | 15 | Yousuf Al-Thunayan | | 84' |
| Manager: ||
| Carlos Alberto Parreira ||
| GK | 1 | Peter Schmeichel |
| DF | 2 | Michael Schjønberg |
| DF | 3 | Marc Rieper | 60' |
| DF | 4 | Jes Høgh |
| DF | 6 | Thomas Helveg |
| DF | 12 | Søren Colding |
| MF | 10 | Michael Laudrup (c) |
| MF | 14 | Morten Wieghorst | 12' | 65' |
| MF | 21 | Martin Jørgensen | | 73' |
| FW | 11 | Brian Laudrup | | 84' |
| FW | 19 | Ebbe Sand |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 7 | Allan Nielsen | 73' | 65' |
| MF | 8 | Per Frandsen | | 73' |
| DF | 5 | Jan Heintze | | 84' |
| Manager: ||
| Bo Johansson ||
* Assistant referees:
* Claudio Rossi (Argentina)
* Jorge Diaz Garcia (Chile)
* Fourth official:
* Hugh Dallas (Scotland)

### France vs South Africa

| France | South Africa |
| GK | 16 | Fabien Barthez |
| RB | 15 | Lilian Thuram |
| CB | 8 | Marcel Desailly |
| CB | 5 | Laurent Blanc |
| LB | 3 | Bixente Lizarazu |
| CM | 7 | Didier Deschamps (c) | 53' |
| CM | 17 | Emmanuel Petit | 28' | 73' |
| RW | 6 | Youri Djorkaeff | | 84' |
| AM | 10 | Zinedine Zidane | 75' |
| LW | 12 | Thierry Henry |
| CF | 9 | Stéphane Guivarc'h | | 26' |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 21 | Christophe Dugarry | | 26' |
| MF | 14 | Alain Boghossian | | 73' |
| FW | 20 | David Trezeguet | | 84' |
| Manager: ||
| Aimé Jacquet ||
| GK | 1 | Hans Vonk |
| DF | 3 | David Nyathi |
| DF | 4 | Willem Jackson | 39' |
| DF | 5 | Mark Fish |
| DF | 19 | Lucas Radebe (c) |
| DF | 21 | Pierre Issa |
| MF | 7 | Quinton Fortune |
| MF | 10 | John Moshoeu |
| FW | 6 | Phil Masinga |
| FW | 12 | Brendan Augustine | | 56' |
| FW | 17 | Benni McCarthy | | 89' |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 11 | Helman Mkhalele | | 56' |
| FW | 9 | Shaun Bartlett | | 89' |
| Manager: ||
| Philippe Troussier ||
* Assistant referees:
* Arnaldo Pinto (Brazil)
* Merere Gonzales (Trinidad and Tobago)
* Fourth official:
* Mario Sánchez Yanten (Chile)

### South Africa vs Denmark

| South Africa | Denmark |
| GK | 1 | Hans Vonk |
| DF | 3 | David Nyathi | 28' | 88' |
| DF | 5 | Mark Fish |
| DF | 19 | Lucas Radebe (c) | 73' |
| DF | 21 | Pierre Issa | 63' |
| MF | 7 | Quinton Fortune |
| MF | 10 | John Moshoeu |
| MF | 11 | Helman Mkhalele |
| FW | 9 | Shaun Bartlett | | 77' |
| FW | 12 | Brendan Augustine | | 46' |
| FW | 17 | Benni McCarthy |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 8 | Alfred Phiri | 65' 68' | 46' |
| FW | 6 | Phil Masinga | | 77' |
| FW | 13 | Delron Buckley | | 88' |
| Manager: ||
| Philippe Troussier ||
| GK | 1 | Peter Schmeichel | 57' |
| DF | 2 | Michael Schjønberg | 23' | 82' |
| DF | 3 | Marc Rieper |
| DF | 4 | Jes Høgh | 56' |
| DF | 6 | Thomas Helveg |
| DF | 12 | Søren Colding |
| MF | 7 | Allan Nielsen |
| MF | 10 | Michael Laudrup (c) | | 58' |
| MF | 21 | Martin Jørgensen |
| FW | 11 | Brian Laudrup |
| FW | 19 | Ebbe Sand | | 58' |
| Substitutions: ||
| DF | 5 | Jan Heintze | | 58' |
| FW | 9 | Miklos Molnar | 66' | 58' |
| MF | 14 | Morten Wieghorst | 85' | 82' |
| Manager: ||
| Bo Johansson ||
* Assistant referees:
* Jorge Luis Arango (Colombia)
* Celestino Galván (Paraguay)
* Fourth official:
* Epifanio González (Paraguay)

### France vs Saudi Arabia

Mohammed Al-Khilaiwi was sent off in the 19th minute after tripping Bixente Lizarazu from behind. Zinedine Zidane was ejected at the 71st minute when he appeared to plant his studs into the side of Saudi captain Fuad Anwar after they collided going for a ball.
| France | Saudi Arabia |
| GK | 16 | Fabien Barthez |
| RB | 15 | Lilian Thuram |
| CB | 5 | Laurent Blanc | 36' |
| CB | 8 | Marcel Desailly |
| LB | 3 | Bixente Lizarazu | 50' |
| CM | 7 | Didier Deschamps (c) |
| CM | 14 | Alain Boghossian |
| RW | 12 | Thierry Henry | | 79' |
| AM | 10 | Zinedine Zidane | 71' |
| LW | 13 | Bernard Diomède | | 58' |
| CF | 21 | Christophe Dugarry | | 30' |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 20 | David Trezeguet | | 30' |
| MF | 6 | Youri Djorkaeff | | 58' |
| MF | 11 | Robert Pires | | 79' |
| Manager: ||
| Aimé Jacquet ||
| GK | 1 | Mohamed Al-Deayea |
| DF | 2 | Mohammed Al-Jahani | 7' | 76' |
| DF | 3 | Mohammed Al-Khilaiwi | 19' |
| DF | 4 | Abdullah Zubromawi |
| DF | 13 | Hussein Sulaimani |
| MF | 6 | Fuad Anwar (c) |
| MF | 7 | Ibrahim Al-Shahrani |
| MF | 16 | Khamis Al-Owairan |
| MF | 20 | Hamzah Saleh |
| FW | 9 | Sami Al-Jaber | 82' |
| FW | 10 | Saeed Al-Owairan | | 33' |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 12 | Ibrahim Al-Harbi | | 33' | 65' |
| MF | 14 | Khalid Al-Muwallid | | | 65' |
| DF | 17 | Ahmed Dokhi | | 76' |
| Manager: ||
| Carlos Alberto Parreira ||
* Assistant referees:
* Reynaldo Salinas (Honduras)
* Luis Torres Zuniga (Costa Rica)
* Fourth official:
* Alberto Tejada Noriega (Peru)

### France vs Denmark

| France | Denmark |
| GK | 16 | Fabien Barthez |
| DF | 2 | Vincent Candela |
| DF | 8 | Marcel Desailly (c) |
| DF | 18 | Frank Leboeuf |
| MF | 4 | Patrick Vieira | 62' |
| MF | 6 | Youri Djorkaeff |
| MF | 11 | Robert Pires | | 71' |
| MF | 13 | Bernard Diomède | 53' |
| MF | 17 | Emmanuel Petit | | 64' |
| MF | 19 | Christian Karembeu |
| FW | 20 | David Trezeguet | | 85' |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 14 | Alain Boghossian | | 64' |
| FW | 12 | Thierry Henry | | 71' |
| FW | 9 | Stéphane Guivarc'h | | 85' |
| Manager: ||
| Aimé Jacquet ||
| GK | 1 | Peter Schmeichel | |
| DF | 2 | Michael Schjønberg | |
| DF | 3 | Marc Rieper |
| DF | 4 | Jes Høgh |
| DF | 5 | Jan Heintze |
| DF | 6 | Thomas Helveg |
| DF | 13 | Jacob Laursen | | 46' |
| MF | 7 | Allan Nielsen |
| MF | 10 | Michael Laudrup (c) |
| MF | 21 | Martin Jørgensen | | 54' |
| FW | 11 | Brian Laudrup | | 75' |
| Substitutions: ||
| DF | 12 | Søren Colding | 65' | 46' |
| FW | 19 | Ebbe Sand | | 54' |
| MF | 15 | Stig Tøfting | 78' | 75' |
| Manager: ||
| Bo Johansson ||
* Assistant referees:
* Marc Van den Broeck (Belgium)
* Emanuel Zammit (Malta)
* Fourth official:
* Vítor Melo Pereira (Portugal)

### South Africa vs Saudi Arabia

| South Africa | Saudi Arabia |
| GK | 1 | Hans Vonk |
| DF | 3 | David Nyathi |
| DF | 4 | Willem Jackson | | 46' |
| DF | 5 | Mark Fish |
| DF | 19 | Lucas Radebe (c) | 65' |
| DF | 21 | Pierre Issa |
| MF | 7 | Quinton Fortune | 38' | 67' |
| MF | 10 | John Moshoeu |
| MF | 11 | Helman Mkhalele |
| FW | 9 | Shaun Bartlett |
| FW | 17 | Benni McCarthy | | 46' |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 13 | Delron Buckley | | 46' |
| FW | 14 | Jerry Sikhosana | | 46' |
| MF | 15 | Doctor Khumalo | | 67' |
| Manager: ||
| Philippe Troussier ||
| GK | 1 | Mohamed Al-Deayea |
| DF | 2 | Mohammed Al-Jahani |
| DF | 4 | Abdullah Zubromawi |
| DF | 13 | Hussein Sulaimani |
| MF | 6 | Fuad Anwar |
| MF | 16 | Khamis Al-Owairan | 30' |
| MF | 18 | Nawaf Al-Temyat |
| MF | 20 | Hamzah Saleh |
| FW | 9 | Sami Al-Jaber |
| FW | 11 | Fahad Al-Mehallel | | 64' |
| FW | 15 | Yousuf Al-Thunayan (c) | | 81' |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 7 | Ibrahim Al-Shahrani | | 64' |
| MF | 12 | Ibrahim Al-Harbi | | 81' |
| Manager: ||
| Mohammed Al-Kharashy ||
* Assistant referees:
* Owen Powell (Jamaica)
* Eddie Foley (Ireland)
* Fourth official:
* Alberto Tejada Noriega (Peru)