FRANCE98 – Belgium Team Page

27^th Qualifier UEFA (Europe)

Land area: 30 513 kmē

Population: 10 200 000

Capital: Brussels

Main cities: Brugge, Liege

System of government: Constitutional Monarchy

Head of state: Prime Minister : Jean-Luc Dehaens

Currency: Belgian Franc

Time difference: none

UEFA Zone, Group 7:

31 August 96 Belgium – Turkey 2-1

09 October 96 San Marin – Belgium 0-3

14 December 96 Belgium – Holland 0-3

29 March 97 Wales – Belgium 1-2

30 April 97 Turkey – Belgium 1-3

07 June 97 Belgium – San Marin 6-0

06 September 97 Holland – Belgium 3-1

11 October 97 Belgium – Wales 3-2

18 points

20 goals scored

11 goals conceded

Play Offs

29/10/97 Ireland – Belgium 1-1

15/11/97 Belgium – Ireland 2-1

Goalkeeper: DE WILDE (age 33, 18 caps)

Defenders: DEFLANDRE (age 24, 3 caps) DE ROOVER (age 30, 5 caps) STAELENS (age 33, 44 caps)

VIDOVIC (age 29, 4 caps)

Mid-field: BOFFIN (age 32, 31 caps) VAN DER ELST (age 36, 77 caps) VAN KERCKHOVEN (age 26, 11 caps) WILMOTS (age 28, 28 caps)

SCIFO (age 31, 79 caps)

Strikers: NILIS (age 30, 43 caps)
OLIVEIRA (age 28, 21 caps)

Number of players used during the qualifying rounds: 38

National team colours: red

FIFA ranking (on 1 November 1997): 48th

World Cup: 9 participations (1930, 1934, 1938, 1954, 1970, 1982, 1986, 1990 and 1994)
1986 : 4th (Belgium – France : 2-3)

European Nations Championship: 3 partcipations (1972, 1980 et 1984)

George LEEKENS
This ex-Bruges defender, aged 47, coached seven different clubs (Anderlecht, Courtrai, Bruges, with whom he won the Belgian league, Malines, Trabzonspor, Charleroi and Mouscron) before taking charge of the national side in early 1997. Under his guidance the ” Red Devils ” fought their way out of a difficult group and through to FRANCE 98.