<prompt> tafadhali geuza maudhui haya ya swahili kwenda kwa kiingereza.idadi ya walioshiriki katikafainalikatika fainali ya shindano hili ilifika 16 katika mwaka 1998 timu 16 zilikuwa zishiriki katika shinano hili mwaka wa 1996 lakini nigeria walijitoa na kubakia timu 15, na tangu wakati huo, imebaki kuwa timu 61 ndizo zinashiriki katika shindano hili. ,timu hizi hugawanywa katika vikundi ambavyo kila kundi kina timu nne ambapo timu mbili bora katika kila kundi ndizozilifaulundizo zinafaulu katika hatua ya ya pili.  <response>: the number of participants in the final tournament reached 16 in 1998 16 teams were to compete in 1996 but nigeria withdrew and since then, the format has been unchanged, with the sixteen teams being drawn into four groups of four teams each, with the top two teams of each group advancing to a knock-out stage. 