Was Group 2 perhaps, on paper, the tightest looking one among the CONMEBOL groups? On the background of merits from recent years, it could possibly be claimed that Paraguay, who had participated in the 1986 World Cup and also made it to the final round of the recently held Copa América, were favourites, though that would be taking the promise of Colombia and their Atlético Nacional’s recently crowned South American champions out of the equation. 

It had been decided beforehand that this was the group where the winners would have to play off against the winners of the Oceania confederation in a two-legged affair, in order to decide who would progress through to the World Cup. Since the OFC zone had finished on 16 April, more than four months prior to the start of this qualification group, it was already known that the winners would be facing off in the intercontinental play-off against Israel in October. 

Paraguay had made it past the group stage in the 1986 World Cup, and they had shown plenty of promise in the continental championships, which had rounded off only the previous month. In between, they had failed to make a mark on the 1987 issue of Copa América, where they had also lost to one of their group rivals this time around, Colombia. Their coach was an Argentinian by the name of Eduardo Luján Manera, who had been appointed last year, and who had succeeded Silvio Parodi. However, only days prior to their first qualifier, Manera, despite Paraguay advancing through to the final phase of the recently held Copa América in Brazil, would be replaced by Cayetano Ré, the manager who had led Paraguay during the 1986 World Cup. 

Colombia had their core from leading domestic club Atlético Nacional of Medellín. Not just a large playing crop hailed from the club which had triumphed in the Copa Libertadores back in May, when they had defeated Paraguay’s Olimpia of Asunción, but even manager Francisco Maturana. The highly talented 40 year old had taken over and led the team for the 1987 edition of Copa América, where they had finished third, even beating host nation Argentina in the third-place play-off game. In addition to the large Nacional contingent, there was also the exciting, European based talent of playmaker Carlos Valderrama. In the recently held continental championships, Colombia had been edged out from progressing beyond the first group stage by the hosts and Paraguay. 

Ecuador – were they anything more than also-rans in this group? Well, they might, again, have failed to progress beyond the first group stage in the Copa América, but in Yugoslav coach Dušan Drašković, a 50 year old about a year into his first coaching assignment abroad, they appeared to have someone quite visionary, and who was looking to utilize their playing resources to the maximum. They’d given a fine account of themselves a few weeks ago in Brazil, where they’d defeated Uruguay and then held Argentina, only to fall short against Chile in their final game. Only two goals against, both in the final fixture, from four matches had been a nice feat.