| 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL–OFC play-off) | |
| Event: | 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| Team1: | Australia |
| Team1association: |  |
| Team1score: | 1 |
| Team2: | Argentina |
| Team2association: |  |
| Team2score: | 2 |
| Details: | (on aggregate) |
| Firstleg: | First leg |
| Team1score1: | 1 |
| Team2score1: | 1 |
| Date1: | 31 October 1993 |
| Stadium1: | Football Stadium |
| City1: | Sydney |
| Referee1: | Sándor Puhl (Hungary) |
| Attendance1: | 43,967 |
| Secondleg: | Second leg |
| Team1score2: | 0 |
| Team2score2: | 1 |
| Date2: | 17 November 1993 |
| Stadium2: | Monumental |
| City2: | Buenos Aires |
| Referee2: | Peter Mikkelsen (Denmark) |
| Attendance2: | 67,000 |
The 1994 FIFA World Cup OFC–CONMEBOL qualification play-off was a two-legged home-and-away tie between the winners of the Oceania qualifying tournament and CONCACAF–OFC play-off winners, Australia, and the second-placed team from the CONMEBOL Group 1, Argentina.
The games were played on 31 October and 17 November 1993 in Sydney and Buenos Aires respectively. Australia was hoping to play in the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1974, and Argentina was hoping to qualify after reaching the FIFA World Cup Final three times in the previous four FIFA World Cups. The only time that Argentina failed to qualify for a FIFA World Cup was in 1970. This qualification play-off notably immediately followed Argentina's 5–0 defeat by Colombia at home in Buenos Aires on 5 September 1993. The crowd of 43,967 who watched the first leg played at the Sydney Football Stadium was at the time a stadium record crowd for any sporting event.[1]
The series were notable for being the first time Argentina had to play a qualification play-off match in their history. Moreover, the series saw the return of Diego Maradona to the national team after a long dispute with manager Alfio Basile.[2] Some years later, Maradona suggested that drug tests were deliberately avoided during the series, stating that "to play against Australia, the Association gave us a 'fast coffee'" to drink before the match.[3]
| Argentina | Round | Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Final standings |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Final round (OFC) | Opponent | Result | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1st leg | (A) | 1–0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2nd leg | (H) | 3–0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1st play-off | Opponent | Result | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1st leg | (A) | 1–2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2nd leg | (H) | 2–1 (4–1 PSO) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| GK | 1 | Mark Bosnich | |||
| DF | 19 | ||||
| DF | 13 | Mehmet Durakovic | |||
| DF | 12 | ||||
| DF | 5 | Alex Tobin | |||
| MF | 4 | Ned Zelic | |||
| MF | 8 | Aurelio Vidmar | |||
| MF | 6 | Paul Wade (c) | |||
| MF | 11 | ||||
| MF | 10 | Jason van Blerk | |||
| FW | 9 | Graham Arnold | |||
| Substitutes: | |||||
| FW | 7 | ||||
| Manager: | |||||
| Eddie Thomson | |||||
| GK | 1 | Sergio Goycoechea | ||
| SW | 2 | Jorge Borelli | ||
| DF | 6 | Sergio Vázquez | ||
| DF | 14 | José Chamot | ||
| DF | 3 | |||
| MF | 15 | |||
| MF | 5 | Fernando Redondo | ||
| MF | 8 | |||
| MF | 10 | Diego Maradona (c) | ||
| FW | 18 | |||
| FW | 9 | Gabriel Batistuta | ||
| Substitutes: | ||||
| MF | 17 | |||
| DF | 13 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Alfio Basile | ||||
| GK | 1 | Sergio Goycoechea | ||
| DF | 14 | José Chamot | ||
| DF | 2 | |||
| DF | 6 | |||
| DF | 3 | Carlos Mac Allister | ||
| MF | 5 | Fernando Redondo | ||
| MF | 15 | Hugo Pérez | ||
| MF | 8 | |||
| MF | 10 | Diego Maradona (c) | ||
| FW | 18 | |||
| FW | 9 | Gabriel Batistuta | ||
| Substitutes: | ||||
| MF | 20 | |||
| Manager: | ||||
| Alfio Basile | ||||
| GK | 20 | Robert Zabica | |||
| DF | 12 | ||||
| DF | 5 | Alex Tobin | |||
| DF | 19 | ||||
| DF | 13 | ||||
| MF | 11 | Robbie Slater | |||
| MF | 10 | Jason Van Blerk | |||
| MF | 6 | Paul Wade (c) | |||
| MF | 8 | ||||
| FW | 7 | Graham Arnold | |||
| FW | 9 | Frank Farina | |||
| Substitutes: | |||||
| FW | 17 | ||||
| Manager: | |||||
| Eddie Thomson | |||||
Argentina: Canal 9, NexTV! & TeleRed (Only first leg are broadcast live); Eltrece, Canal 30 & Nuevo Siglo Cable TV (Only second leg are broadcast live)
United Kingdom: Sky Sports
United States: ESPN (English) and Telemundo (Spanish)