1994 FIFA World Cup Group D

Group D of the 1994 FIFA World Cup was one of six groups of four teams competing at the 1994 World Cup in the United States. The first match was played June 21, 1994, and the final games took place simultaneously on June 30, 1994.

The group consisted of Argentina, Greece, Nigeria and Bulgaria. Nigeria won the group on goal difference, Bulgaria finished second and Argentina qualified as one of the best third-placed teams (Bulgaria defeated Argentina in the group stage, thus their higher rank). Bulgaria and Argentina had previously met before in the group stage, in 1962; neither team advanced into the knockout stage. Bulgaria and Argentina had also met in 1986, both teams advanced to the knockout stage.

Group D was also notable for the end of Diego Maradona's international career. Maradona, who was Argentina's captain and star player, was found to contain ephedrine, a performance-enhancing stimulant, in his system after being subjected to an anti-doping test held during their match with Nigeria.[1] In his absence, Argentina would lose their final group match against Bulgaria, and were eliminated by Romania 3–2 at the Round of 16. Maradona's only goal in the tournament against Greece would prove to be his last for Argentina.

Standings

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1  Nigeria320162+46Advance to knockout stage
2  Bulgaria320163+36
3  Argentina320163+36
4  Greece3003010−100
Source: FIFA

Matches

All times local (EDT/UTC–4, CDT/UTC–5, PDT/UTC–7)

Argentina vs Greece

Argentina  4–0  Greece
Batistuta 2', 44', 90' (pen.)
Maradona 60'
Report
Argentina
Greece
GK12Luis Islas
RB4Roberto Sensini
CB13Fernando Cáceres  40'
CB6Oscar Ruggeri
LB3José Chamot
CM14Diego Simeone
CM5Fernando Redondo
AM10Diego Maradona (c)  83'
RF7Claudio Caniggia
CF9Gabriel Batistuta
LF19Abel Balbo  80'
Substitutions:
MF21Alejandro Mancuso  80'
FW17Ariel Ortega  83'
Manager:
Alfio Basile
GK1Antonis Minou
RB2Stratos Apostolakis
CB4Stelios Manolas  55'
CB5Giannis Kalitzakis
LB3Thanasis Kolitsidakis
CM19Savvas Kofidis
CM6Panagiotis Tsalouchidis  25'
CM8Nikos Nioplias
RF7Dimitris Saravakos (c)
CF9Nikos Machlas  59'
LF11Nikos Tsiantakis  45'
Substitutions:
MF12Spyros Marangos  45'
MF10Tasos Mitropoulos  59'
Manager:
Alketas Panagoulias

Assistant referees:
Park Hae-yong (South Korea)
Jan Dolstra (Netherlands)
Fourth official:
Mario van der Ende (Netherlands)

Nigeria vs Bulgaria

Nigeria  3–0  Bulgaria
Yekini 21'
Amokachi 43'
Amunike 55'
Report
Attendance: 44,132
Nigeria
Bulgaria
GK1Peter Rufai (c)
RB2Augustine Eguavoen
CB5Uche Okechukwu
CB6Chidi Nwanu
LB3Benedict Iroha
DM15Sunday Oliseh
RM7Finidi George  77'
CM12Samson Siasia  69'
LM11Emmanuel Amunike  73'
CF9Rashidi Yekini
CF14Daniel Amokachi
Substitutions:
MF21Mutiu Adepoju  69'
DF13Emeka Ezeugo  77'
Manager:
Clemens Westerhof
GK1Borislav Mihaylov (c)
RB2Emil Kremenliev
CB3Trifon Ivanov
CB5Petar Hubchev
LB4Tsanko Tsvetanov
RM11Daniel Borimirov  73'
CM6Zlatko Yankov
CM9Yordan Letchkov  54'  59'
LM20Krasimir Balakov
CF7Emil Kostadinov
CF8Hristo Stoichkov
Substitutions:
FW10Nasko Sirakov  59'
FW13Ivaylo Yordanov  73'
Manager:
Dimitar Penev

Assistant referees:
Gordon Dunster (Australia)
Eugene Brazzale (Australia)
Fourth official:
Ali Bujsaim (United Arab Emirates)

Argentina vs Nigeria

Argentina  2–1  Nigeria
Caniggia 21', 28'ReportSiasia 8'
Attendance: 54,453
Referee: Bo Karlsson (Sweden)
Argentina
Nigeria
GK12Luis Islas
DF4Roberto Sensini  88'
DF13Fernando Cáceres
DF6Oscar Ruggeri
DF3José Chamot
MF14Diego Simeone
MF5Fernando Redondo
MF10Diego Maradona (c)
FW7Claudio Caniggia  54'
FW9Gabriel Batistuta
FW19Abel Balbo  72'
Substitutions:
MF21Alejandro Mancuso  72'
DF16Hernán Díaz  88'
Manager:
Alfio Basile
GK1Peter Rufai (c)
DF2Augustine Eguavoen  20'
DF5Uche Okechukwu
DF6Chidi Nwanu
DF19Michael Emenalo  53'
MF7Finidi George
MF12Samson Siasia  57'
MF15Sunday Oliseh  88'
MF11Emmanuel Amunike
FW9Rashidi Yekini
FW14Daniel Amokachi
Substitutions:
MF21Mutiu Adepoju  57'
MF10Jay-Jay Okocha  88'
Manager:
Clemens Westerhof

Assistant referees:
Mikael Erik Everstig (Sweden)
Luc Matthys (Belgium)
Fourth official:
Leslie Mottram (Scotland)

Bulgaria vs Greece

Bulgaria  4–0  Greece
Stoichkov 5' (pen.), 55' (pen.)
Letchkov 65'
Borimirov 90'
Report
Bulgaria
Greece
GK1Borislav Mihaylov (c)
RB2Emil Kremenliev
CB3Trifon Ivanov  26'
CB5Petar Hubchev  17'
LB4Tsanko Tsvetanov  77'
DM6Zlatko Yankov  33'
CM9Yordan Letchkov
CM20Krasimir Balakov
RF7Emil Kostadinov  82'
CF10Nasko Sirakov
LF8Hristo Stoichkov
Substitutions:
DF16Iliyan Kiryakov  77'
MF11Daniel Borimirov  84'  82'
Manager:
Dimitar Penev
GK20Elias Atmatsidis
RB2Stratos Apostolakis (c)
CB18Kyriakos Karataidis
CB5Ioannis Kalitzakis
LB13Vaios Karagiannis  70'
RM12Spiros Marangos
CM19Savvas Kofidis
CM17Minas Hantzidis  42'  46'
LM8Nikos Nioplias
CF9Nikos Machlas
CF16Alexis Alexoudis  6'  58'
Substitutions:
MF10Tasos Mitropoulos  59'  46'
FW14Vasilis Dimitriadis  58'
Manager:
Alketas Panagoulias

Assistant referees:
Abdulla Al Ghattan (Bahrain)
Raimundo Calix Garcia (Honduras)
Fourth official:
Arturo Angeles (United States)

Argentina vs Bulgaria

Argentina  0–2  Bulgaria
ReportStoichkov 61'
Sirakov 90+3'
Attendance: 63,998
Referee: Neji Jouini (Tunisia)
Argentina
Bulgaria
GK12Luis Islas
DF16Hernán Díaz
DF13Fernando Cáceres
DF6Oscar Ruggeri (c)  34'
DF3José Chamot
MF14Diego Simeone
MF5Fernando Redondo
MF20Leonardo Rodríguez  44'  67'
FW7Claudio Caniggia  26'
FW9Gabriel Batistuta  81'
FW19Abel Balbo
Substitutions:
FW17Ariel Ortega  26'
FW11Ramón Medina Bello  67'
Manager:
Alfio Basile
GK1Borislav Mihaylov (c)
RB2Emil Kremenliev
CB3Trifon Ivanov  58'
CB5Petar Hubchev
LB4Tsanko Tsvetanov  45'   67'
MF6Zlatko Yankov  24'
MF9Yordan Letchkov  76'
MF10Nasko Sirakov
MF20Krasimir Balakov  74'
FW7Emil Kostadinov  74'
FW8Hristo Stoichkov  7'
Substitutions:
DF16Iliyan Kiryakov  74'
MF11Daniel Borimirov  76'
Manager:
Dimitar Penev

Assistant referees:
Tapio Yli-Karro (Finland)
El Jilali Rharib (Morocco)
Fourth official:
Lim Kee Chong (Mauritius)

Greece vs Nigeria

Greece  0–2  Nigeria
ReportGeorge 45+2'
Amokachi 90+5'
Attendance: 53,001
Greece
Nigeria
GK15Christos Karkamanis
DF5Ioannis Kalitzakis  41'
DF22Alexis Alexiou
DF13Vaios Karagiannis
MF17Minas Hantzidis
MF6Giotis Tsalouchidis
MF10Tasos Mitropoulos (c)  32'  72'
MF21Alekos Alexandris
MF8Nikos Nioplias
MF19Savvas Kofidis
FW9Nikos Machlas  80'
Substitutions:
MF11Nikos Tsiantakis  72'
FW14Vasilis Dimitriadis  80'
Manager:
Alketas Panagoulias
GK1Peter Rufai
DF6Chidi Nwanu
DF4Stephen Keshi (c)  70'
DF5Uche Okechukwu
DF19Michael Emenalo
MF7Finidi George  84'
MF12Samson Siasia
MF15Sunday Oliseh  66'
MF11Emmanuel Amunike
FW9Rashidi Yekini  69'
FW14Daniel Amokachi
Substitutions:
MF10Jay-Jay Okocha  69'
MF21Mutiu Adepoju  84'
Manager:
Clemens Westerhof

Assistant referees:
Park Hae-yong (South Korea)
Paulo Jorge Alves (Brazil)
Fourth official:
José Torres Cadena (Colombia)

See also

References