| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 31 May 1996 – 17 August 1997 |
| Teams | 36 (from 1 confederation) |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 91 |
| Goals scored | 229 (2.52 per match) |
| Attendance | 2,810,227 (30,882 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) |  Paulão Mamadou Zongo Mike Okoth Origi Vitalis Takawira (5 goals) |
← 1994 2002 → | |
| Qualification for championships (CAF) |
|---|
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Countries that qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup
Countries that did not qualify for the 1998 FIFA World Cup
Countries that did not enter, withdrew or were disqualified
Listed below are the dates and results for the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the African zone (CAF). For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification.
A total of 38 CAF teams entered the competition. However, Mali and Niger both withdrew before the draw was made. The African Zone was allocated five places (out of 32) in the final tournament.