The 14 lowest-ranked teams classified on the basis of the FIFA World Ranking published on 22 October 2003
The 7 winners advance to the 2nd Stage
26.11.03 Bangladesh vs Tajikistan 0-2 (0-1)
30.11.03 Tajikistan vs Bangladesh 2-0 (1-0)
19.11.03 Turkmenistan vs Afghanistan 11-0 (6-0)
22.11.03 Afghanistan vs Turkmenistan 0-2 (0-0)
23.11.03 Chinese Taipei vs Macao 3-0 (1-0)
29.11.03 Macao vs Chinese Taipei 1-3 (0-1)
29.11.03 Pakistan vs Kyrgyzstan 0-2 (0-1)
03.12.03 Kyrgyzstan vs Pakistan 4-0 (2-0)
29.11.03 Laos vs Sri Lanka 0-0
03.12.03 Sri Lanka vs Laos** 3-0 (1-0)
29.11.03 Mongolia vs Maldives 0-1 (0-1)
03.12.03 Maldives vs Mongolia 12-0 (4-0)
Guam vs Nepal
Nepal vs Guam
Guam and Nepal withdraw
* Due to a withdrawal of Guam and Nepal, a “lucky loser” will qualify for the 2nd stage.
The following criteria will be used to determine this “lucky loser”:
1) Number of points accumulated (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a defeat)
2) Superior goal difference
3) Numbers of goals scored
4) Position in the FIFA ranking
** Laos qualified as “lucky-loser”
2nd Stage
8 groups of 4 teams will be drawn
League system on a home and away basis
The 8 winners of each group advance to the 3rd Stage
Group 1
Iran
Qatar
Jordan
Laos
Group 2
Uzbekistan
Iraq
Palestine
Chinese Taipei
Group 3
Japan
Oman
India
Singapore
Group 4
China PR
Kuwait
Malaysia
Hong Kong
Group 5
United Arab Emirates
Thailand
Yemen
Korea DPR
Group 6
Bahrain
Syria
Kyrgyzstan
Tajikistan
Group 7
Korea Republic
Lebanon
Vietnam SR
Maldives Republic
Group 8
Saudi Arabia
Indonesia
Turkmenistan
Sri Lanka
3rd Stage
2 groups of 4 teams each will be drawn
League system on a home and away basis
The first- and second-placed teams in each group qualify directly for the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™.
The third-placed team from each group will contest a two-leg play-off on a home and away basis.
The winner of the above play-off will play off with North, Central America and the Caribbean.
These 42 teams were paired off in a draw held in Paris on 27 June 2003
Cup system on a home and away basis
The 21 winners advance directly to the 2nd Stage
11.10.03 Equatorial Guinea vs Togo 1-0 (1-0)
16.11.03 Togo vs Equatorial Guinea 2-0 (1-0)
12.10.03 Zimbabwe vs Mauritania 3-0 (1-0)
14.11.03 Mauritania vs Zimbabwe 2-1 (2-0)
16.11.03 Somalia vs Ghana 0-5 (0-1)
19.11.03 Ghana vs Somalia 2-0 (1-0)
11.10.03 Seychelles vs Zambia 0-4 (0-2)
15.11.03 Zambia vs Seychelles 1-1 (1-0)
12.10.03 Chad vs Angola 3-1 (0-0)
16.11.03 Angola vs Chad 2-0 (1-0)
10.10.03 Guinea-Bissau vs Mali 1-2 (0-1)
14.11.03 Mali vs Guinea-Bissau 2-0 (1-0)
11.10.03 São Tomé e Príncipe vs Libya 0-1 (0-0)
16.11.03 Libya vs Sâo Tomé e Príncipe 8-0 (4-0)
11.10.03 Niger vs Algeria 0-1 (0-0)
14.11.03 Algeria vs Niger 6-0 (4-0)
11.10.03 Tanzania vs Kenya 0-0
15.11.03 Kenya vs Tanzania 3-0 (3-0)
Burkina Faso vs Central African Republic
Central African Republic vs Burkina Faso
Central African Rep. withdraw
11.10.03 Madagascar vs Benin 1-1 (1-0)
16.11.03 Benin vs Madagascar 3-2 (1-2)
12.10.03 Ethiopia vs Malawi 1-3 (0-1)
15.11.03 Malawi vs Ethiopia 0-0
12.10.03 Guinea vs Mozambique 1-0 (0-0)
16.11.03 Mozambique vs Guinea 3-4 (0-3)
11.10.03 Botswana vs Lesotho 4-1 (2-0)
16.11.03 Lesotho vs Botswana 0-0
12.10.03 Congo vs Sierra Leone 1-0 (0-0)
16.11.03 Sierra Leone vs Congo 1-1 (0-0)
12.10.03 Sudan vs Eritrea 3-0 (0-0)
16.11.03 Eritrea vs Sudan 0-0
12.10.03 Swaziland vs Cape Verde Islands 1-1 (0-0)
16.11.03 Cape Verde Islands vs Swaziland 3-0 (0-0)
11.10.03 Uganda vs Mauritius 3-0 (0-0)
16.11.03 Mauritius vs Uganda 3-1 AET, 3-0 (1-0)
12.10.03 Rwanda vs Namibia 3-0 (1-0)
15.11.03 Namibia vs Rwanda 1-1 (1-1)
12.10.03 Gambia vs Liberia 2-0 (0-0)
16.11.03 Liberia vs Gambia 3-0 (1-0)
12.10.03 Burundi vs Gabon 0-0
15.11.03 Gabon vs Burundi 4-1 (3-0)
The 9 other teams advance directly to the 2nd Stage, i.e. the 5 African qualifiers for the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan™
(Cameroon, Nigeria, South Africa, Senegal and Tunisia) and the 4 highest ranking African teams in the FIFA World Ranking published
on 25 June 2003 (Morocco, Egypt, Côte d’Ivoire and Congo DR).
2nd Stage
5 groups of 6 teams
League system on a home and away basis
The 5 winners of each group will qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™
Group 1
Senegal
Mali
Zambia
Togo
Liberia
Congo
Group 2
South Africa
Congo DR
Burkina Faso
Ghana
Uganda
Cape Verde Islands
The 12 winners of each group will advance to the 2nd Stage
Group 1
Grenada vs. Guyana
Winner vs. USA
Group 2
Bermuda vs. Montserrat
Winner vs. El Salvador
Group 3
Haiti vs. Turks and Caicos Islands
Winner vs. Jamaica
Group 4
British Virgin Islands vs. St. Lucia
Winner vs. Panama
Group 5
Cayman Islands vs. Cuba
Winner vs. Costa Rica
Group 6
Aruba vs. Surinam
Winner vs. Guatemala
Group 7
Antigua and Barbuda vs. Netherlands Antilles
Winner vs. Honduras
Group 8
Canada vs. Belize
Group 9
Dominica vs. Bahamas
Winner vs. Mexico
Group 10
US Virgin Islands vs. St. Kitts and Nevis
Winner vs. Barbados
Group 11
Domincan Republic vs. Anguilla
Winner vs. Trinidad and Tobago
Group 12
Nicaragua vs. St. Vincent / Grenadines
2nd Stage
12 teams (3 groups of 4 teams)
Group 1 (winners of Groups 1 to 4)
Group 2 (winners of Groups 5 to 8)
Group 3 (winners of Groups 9 to 12)
League system on a home and away basis
The 3 winners and 3 runners-up from each group will qualify for the 3rd Stage
3rd Stage
6 teams (1 group)
League system on a home and away basis
The 3 top teams in the group will qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™
The 4th placed team will play off with the 5th placed team of Asia. Decisions as to the exact timings and which team should play the first leg at home will be passed by the Organising Committee for the FIFA World Cup™ at a later date
Australia and New Zealand are seeded and get a bye for this round
2 groups of 5 teams
League system (2 tournaments in 2 different venues)
The winner and runner-up of each group will advance to the 2nd Stage
Group 1
Tahiti
Solomon Islands
New Caledonia
Tonga
Cook Islands
Group 2
Fiji
Vanuatu
Papua New Guinea
Samoa
American Samoa
2nd Stage
1 group of 6 teams (Australia and New Zealand already qualified for this stage)
League system (tournament in 1 venue)
The winner and runner-up advance to the 3rd Stage
3rd Stage
2 Teams
Play-off on a home and away basis
The winner of Oceania will play-off the 5th placed team of South America. Decisions as to the exact timings and which team should play the first leg at home will be passed by the Organising Committee for the FIFA World Cup™ at a later date
The top 4 teams qualify for the FIFA World Cup™ directly
The 5th placed team will play off with the winner of Oceania. Decisions as to the exact timings and which team should play the first leg at home will be passed by the Organising Committee for the FIFA World Cup™ at a later date