2002 FIFA World Cup Group F

The Group F of the 2002 FIFA World Cup lasted from 2 to 12 June 2002. Sweden won the group, and advanced to the second round, along with England. The two sides were level on points, but Sweden won the tie-break on goals scored, and so won the group with England in second place. Argentina and Nigeria failed to advance. Group F was considered by several commentators to be a 'group of death' due to the high rankings, and World Cup records of the teams in the group.

Contents
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
 Sweden 3 1 2 0 4 3 +1 5
 England 3 1 2 0 2 1 +1 5
 Argentina 3 1 1 1 2 2 0 4
 Nigeria 3 0 1 2 1 3 −2 1

All times local (UTC+9)

Argentina vs Nigeria

2 June 2002
14:30
 Argentina  1 – 0  Nigeria Kashima Soccer Stadium, Ibaraki
Attendance: 34,050
Referee: Gilles Veissière (France)
Batistuta  63' (Report)

ARGENTINA:
GK 12 Pablo Cavallero
CB 4 Mauricio Pochettino
CB 6 Walter Samuel 51'
CB 13 Diego Placente
RM 8 Javier Zanetti
CM 14 Diego Simeone 90'
CM 11 Juan Sebastián Verón (c) 78'
LM 3 Juan Pablo Sorín
RF 10 Ariel Ortega
CF 9 Gabriel Batistuta 81'
LF 7 Claudio López 46'
Substitutions:
MF 18 Kily González 46'
MF 16 Pablo Aimar 78'
FW 19 Hernán Crespo 81'
Manager:
Marcelo Bielsa

NIGERIA:
GK 1 Ike Shorunmu
RB 16 Efe Sodje 73' 73'
CB 6 Taribo West
CB 5 Isaac Okoronkwo
LB 3 Celestine Babayaro
RM 10 Jay-Jay Okocha (c)
CM 2 Joseph Yobo
CM 4 Nwankwo Kanu 48'
LM 11 Garba Lawal
CF 9 Bartholomew Ogbeche
CF 17 Julius Aghahowa
Substitutions:
MF 7 Pius Ikedia 48'
MF 15 Justice Christopher 73'
Manager:
Festus Onigbinde

Assistant referees:
Frédéric Arnault
Heiner Müller
Fourth official:
Markus Merk

Man of the Match:
Juan Sebastián Verón

England vs Sweden

2 June 2002
18:30
 England  1 – 1  Sweden Saitama Stadium, Saitama
Attendance: 52,721
Referee: Carlos Simon (Brazil)
Campbell  24' (Report) Alexandersson  59'

ENGLAND:
GK 1 David Seaman
RB 2 Danny Mills
CB 5 Rio Ferdinand
CB 6 Sol Campbell 12'
LB 3 Ashley Cole
RM 7 David Beckham (c) 63'
CM 18 Owen Hargreaves
CM 8 Paul Scholes
LM 11 Emile Heskey
CF 20 Darius Vassell 74'
CF 10 Michael Owen
Substitutions:
MF 23 Kieron Dyer 63'
MF 19 Joe Cole 74'
Manager:
Sven-Göran Eriksson

SWEDEN:
GK 1 Magnus Hedman
RB 2 Olof Mellberg
CB 15 Andreas Jakobsson 73'
CB 4 Johan Mjällby (c)
LB 16 Teddy Lucic
RM 7 Niclas Alexandersson
CM 6 Tobias Linderoth
CM 17 Magnus Svensson 56'
LM 9 Fredrik Ljungberg
CF 10 Marcus Allbäck 45' 80'
CF 11 Henrik Larsson
Substitutions:
MF 8 Anders Svensson 56'
FW 22 Andreas Andersson 80'
Managers:
Lars Lagerbäck & Tommy Söderberg

Assistant referees:
Jorge Oliveira
Yuri Dupanov
Fourth official:
Mark Shield

Man of the Match:
Sol Campbell

Sweden vs Nigeria

7 June 2002
15:30
 Sweden  2 – 1  Nigeria Wing Stadium, Kobe
Attendance: 36,194
Referee: René Ortube (Bolivia)
Larsson  35', 63' (pen.) (Report) Aghahowa  27'

SWEDEN:
GK 1 Magnus Hedman
RB 2 Olof Mellberg
CB 15 Andreas Jakobsson
CB 4 Johan Mjällby (c) 31'
LB 16 Teddy Lucic
RM 7 Niclas Alexandersson 69'
CM 6 Tobias Linderoth
CM 8 Anders Svensson 83'
LM 9 Fredrik Ljungberg
CF 10 Marcus Allbäck 64'
CF 11 Henrik Larsson
Substitutions:
FW 22 Andreas Andersson 64'
MF 17 Magnus Svensson 83'
Managers:
Lars Lagerbäck & Tommy Söderberg

NIGERIA:
GK 1 Ike Shorunmu
RB 2 Joseph Yobo
CB 6 Taribo West 80'
CB 5 Isaac Okoronkwo
LB 14 Ifeanyi Udeze
RM 10 Jay-Jay Okocha (c)
CM 15 Justice Christopher
CM 21 John Utaka
LM 3 Celestine Babayaro 65'
CF 17 Julius Aghahowa
CF 9 Bartholomew Ogbeche 70'
Substitutions:
FW 4 Nwankwo Kanu 65'
MF 7 Pius Ikedia 70'
Manager:
Festus Onigbinde

Assistant referees:
Miguel Giacomuzzi
Mat Lazim Awang Hamat
Fourth official:
Toru Kamikawa

Man of the Match:
Henrik Larsson

Argentina vs England

7 June 2002
20:30
 Argentina  0 – 1  England Sapporo Dome, Sapporo
Attendance: 35,927
Referee: Pierluigi Collina (Italy)
(Report) Beckham  44' (pen.)

ARGENTINA:
GK 12 Pablo Cavallero
CB 4 Mauricio Pochettino
CB 6 Walter Samuel
CB 13 Diego Placente
RM 8 Javier Zanetti
CM 14 Diego Simeone
CM 11 Juan Sebastián Verón (c) 46'
LM 3 Juan Pablo Sorín
RF 10 Ariel Ortega
CF 9 Gabriel Batistuta 13' 60'
LF 18 Kily González 64'
Substitutions:
MF 16 Pablo Aimar 46'
FW 19 Hernán Crespo 60'
FW 7 Claudio López 64'
Manager:
Marcelo Bielsa

ENGLAND:
GK 1 David Seaman
RB 2 Danny Mills
CB 5 Rio Ferdinand
CB 6 Sol Campbell
LB 3 Ashley Cole 29'
RM 7 David Beckham (c)
CM 18 Owen Hargreaves 19'
CM 21 Nicky Butt
LM 8 Paul Scholes
CF 10 Michael Owen 80'
CF 11 Emile Heskey 50' 54'
Substitutions:
MF 4 Trevor Sinclair 19'
FW 17 Teddy Sheringham 54'
DF 14 Wayne Bridge 80'
Manager:
Sven-Göran Eriksson

Assistant referees:
Héctor Vergara
Mohamed Saeed
Fourth official:
Brian Hall

Man of the Match:
Paul Scholes

Sweden vs Argentina

12 June 2002
15:30
 Sweden  1 – 1  Argentina Miyagi Stadium, Miyagi
Attendance: 45,777
Referee: Ali Bujsaim (United Arab Emirates)
Svensson  59' (Report) Crespo  88'

SWEDEN:
GK 1 Magnus Hedman
RB 2 Olof Mellberg
CB 15 Andreas Jakobsson
CB 4 Johan Mjällby (c)
LB 16 Teddy Lucic
RM 7 Niclas Alexandersson
CM 8 Anders Svensson 68'
CM 6 Tobias Linderoth
LM 17 Magnus Svensson 65'
CF 11 Henrik Larsson 78' 88'
CF 10 Marcus Allbäck 46'
Substitutions:
FW 22 Andreas Andersson 46'
MF 18 Mattias Jonson 68'
FW 21 Zlatan Ibrahimović 88'
Managers:
Lars Lagerbäck & Tommy Söderberg

ARGENTINA:
GK 12 Pablo Cavallero
CB 22 José Chamot 55'
CB 6 Walter Samuel
CB 4 Mauricio Pochettino
RM 8 Javier Zanetti
CM 5 Matias Almeyda 58' 63'
LM 3 Juan Pablo Sorín 63'
AM 16 Pablo Aimar
RF 10 Ariel Ortega
CF 9 Gabriel Batistuta (c) 58'
LF 7 Claudio López
Substitutions:
FW 19 Hernán Crespo 58'
MF 11 Juan Sebastián Verón 63'
MF 18 Kily González 75' 63'
FW 21 Claudio Caniggia  45+2'
Manager:
Marcelo Bielsa

Assistant referees:
Heiner Müller
Michael Raggonath
Fourth official:
Peter Prendergast

Man of the Match:
Johan Mjällby

Nigeria vs England

12 June 2002
15:30
 Nigeria  0 – 0  England Nagai Stadium, Osaka
Attendance: 44,684
Referee: Brian Hall (USA)
(Report)

NIGERIA:
GK 22 Vincent Enyeama
RB 16 Efe Sodje
CB 2 Joseph Yobo
CB 5 Isaac Okoronkwo
LB 14 Ifeanyi Udeze
RM 10 Jay-Jay Okocha (c)
CM 15 Justice Christopher
CM 20 James Obiorah
LM 23 Femi Opabunmi 86'
CF 17 Julius Aghahowa
CF 18 Benedict Akwuegbu
Substitutions:
MF 7 Pius Ikedia 86'
Manager:
Festus Onigbinde

ENGLAND:
GK 1 David Seaman
RB 2 Danny Mills
CB 5 Rio Ferdinand
CB 6 Sol Campbell
LB 3 Ashley Cole 85'
RM 7 David Beckham (c)
CM 21 Nicky Butt
CM 8 Paul Scholes
LM 4 Trevor Sinclair
CF 11 Emile Heskey 69'
CF 10 Michael Owen 77'
Substitutions:
FW 17 Teddy Sheringham 69'
FW 20 Darius Vassell 77'
DF 14 Wayne Bridge 85'
Manager:
Sven-Göran Eriksson

Assistant referees:
Héctor Vergara
Evzen Amler
Fourth official:
Toru Kamikawa

Man of the Match:
Jay-Jay Okocha

External links

Stages
Group A · Group B · Group C · Group D · Group E · Group F · Group G · Group H · Knockout stage · Final
General information
Qualification · Seeding · Squads · Schedule · Discipline · Officials · Controversies · Broadcasting · Sponsorship
Champions
Runners-up
Third place
Fourth place
Eliminated in the quarter-finals
England · Senegal · Spain · USA
Eliminated in the round of 16
Eliminated in the group stage