With the expected outcome after the total of four preliminary stage ties, Australia, Israel and New Zealand were to reacquaint in the group stage of the qualification. The trio had, along with Chinese Taipei, locked horns in the previous year’s Olympic Games qualification, and with neither having a designated ‘Olympic select’, players who had featured in those qualifiers were generally picked again for the World Cup qualification. Australia had obviously made it through to participate in the 1988 games in Seoul, South Korea, and could they replicate that triumph now, with an even greater prize at stake? 

The group stage started with two home wins, and on both occasions, it was New Zealand who suffered, as they had been the travelling party. Israel had defeated them by just an early Ronny Rosenthal goal, and then the Kiwis went down heavily against their arch-rivals from across the Tasman Sea. With just three teams and a total of four matches for each participant, it appeared that New Zealand’s chances to go on and qualify for the next stage were already gone. 

Australia looked the biggest early contender for the coveted first spot, as they held the Israelis to a 1-1 away draw in a very hard-fought game in Tel Aviv. Both of the group’s ‘big guns’ could draw on attacking expertise from Europe (New Zealand could, too, although their asset Wynton Rufer didn’t feature in their final three matches), and the quality of forwards on display was quite impressive. However, it took ‘main man’ and defender Charlie Yankos to level the scores with a sublime late free-kick, after Eli Ohana had given the Israelis the lead earlier in the half from the penalty spot. 

With the group stage at its halfway point, New Zealand would go on and have their two home ties in succession. They defeated their neighbours in an impressively gritty performance from a team propping up the table, and with the group standings so tight, they even hauled themselves back in contention for a first berth finish. That was if they could only have replicated that victory against Israel, although they’d have needed to win by at least three goals to stand a chance of overtaking both. Ultimately, Israel had come closest to snatching a late winner in the 2-2 draw in the blustery Auckland conditions. This saw to that just the two favourites remained in battle for the top spot. 

The final game was the decider, and with Australia having home advantage, most people probably saw them as the more likely candidate to advance through to the intercontinental play-off stage. However, despite recruiting even further firing power based on the European continent, they could not break down a stubborn Israeli defence until it was too late. By that time the visitors had held the lead for more than 45 minutes, and in a game with plenty of nerve, but with not so much goalmouth action, it finished with a share of the spoils. Israel had progressed through, and would have to wait around five months to see whom they would come up against from the CONMEBOL section’s group 2. 

There were three home wins and three draws across the six fixtures. Both Australia and Israel, remarkably, failed to win either of their final three matches, but still finished top two. New Zealand took it to their final qualifier, but were ultimately just short of having what was required to advance. Israel remained the only unbeaten team in the pool. 

Post intercontinental play-offs

Learning over the course of the summer that their opponents for the two-legged intercontinental play-offs were going to be Colombia, Israel were perhaps not feeling entirely confident of progressing through to their first World Cup for 20 years. However, they defended doggedly in Barranquilla on the Colombian Pacific coast during the first leg, and only succumbed to a goal by substitute Usuriaga with less than 20 minutes left for play. 

For the home leg, the Israelis were without star striker Ohana, who was carrying a knock. This left a whole lot of responsibility on the other ace forward, Rosenthal’s, shoulders. He did what he could and at times terrified the South Americans. That elusive goal eluded them, though, and Israel ultimately bowed out with a 1-0 aggregate deficit. They had absolutely nothing to be ashamed of, as they had given Colombia a mighty good scare. 

This left the Oceania confederation without a World Cup representative again.