1- Mark
Lawrenson
Like
his contemporary Liam Brady, 1980s Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson was at the
declining stage of his career when the Republic of Ireland qualified for its
first World Cup in 1990 under the stewardship of Jackie Charlton. He had earned
his last cap in 1987.
 |
Photo
From: Onze, Issue 111, March 1985
(Mark Lawrenson at Liverpool, 1984/85) |
2- Andreas
Thom
German
Striker Andreas Thom was one of the first few players from the former East
Germany that was selected for the full German Team after Re-Unification.
His
best opportunity would have been the 1994 World Cup but he missed out.
 |
Photo
From: Onze, Issue 117, September 1985
(Andreas
Thom, May 18, 1985, World Cup Qualifier, East Germany 3-Luxembourg 1)
|
3- Ben
Wijnestekers
Dutch
and Feyenoord defender Ben Wijnestekers was part of the post-1970s glory era
Generation and before the 1988 Gullit/van Basten era.
These
were the years when the Dutch were in decline and as a result he missed out on
all the World Cups (1982 and 1986) of that era.
 |
Photo
From: France Football, Issue 2063, October 22, 1985
(Ben Wijnestekers, October 16, 1985, World Cup
Qualifier, Belgium 1-Holland 0) |
4- Dudu
Georgescu
Romania
and Dinamo Bucharest striker Dudu Georgescu was one of Romania’s greatest
goalscorers in the 70s and early 80s.
He
was in fact Europe’s top goalscorer (winner of Golden Shoe) in 1975 and 1977.
However,
during his career Romania failed to qualify to any World Cups
 |
Photo
From: Mondial, Old Series, Issue 7, August 1977
(Dudu
Georgescu at Dinamo Bucharest)
|
5- Anthony
Yeboah
80s
and 90s Ghanaian striker Anthony Yeboah had a successful club career especially
with German clubs.
However,
like his teammate Abedi Pele he was part of the Ghana Generation that found it
difficult to qualify for World Cups.
 |
Photo
From: World Soccer, March 1999
(Anthony
Yeboah at SV Hamburg)
|
