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Sunday on Saturday
Oliseh's goal gives Nigeria 3-2 win over Spain
Posted: Saturday September 26, 1998 11:26 AM
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Garba Lawal of Nigeria (right), who evened the score in the 73rd minute, puts pressure to Albert Ferrer (front) and Fernando Hierro of Spain Ross Kinnaird/Allsport |
NANTES, France (CNN/SI)
-- Nigeria
chose a perfect time to put the "super" back in Super Eagles. Seventy
minutes into its first World Cup match of France '98, Nigeria finally awoke
from its recent slumber and put together 20 minutes of scintillating
soccer, leaving Spain in its dust
for a 3-2 win. Wearing black arm bands on their green jerseys
because of the death Monday of their country's ruler, Gen. Sani Abacha, the
Nigerians looked for much of the game like a distracted team and one that
had lost its last three tuneups before heading to France '98. But
after digging themselves a 2-1 hole Saturday, the 1996 Olympic champions
fought back on goals by Garba Lawal and Sunday Oliseh to move atop Group D
and give credence to those who have predicted a surprise from one of the
African nations. "This win was for 150 million Nigerians," said
Oliseh, who slammed in the winner from 30 yards with 12 minutes left.
Lawal evened the score in the 73rd minute, gathering a pass from Rasheed
Yekini on the left side of the box and firing the ball paallel to the goal
line. Veteran keeper Andoni Zubizarreta, standing about 1 1/2 yards from
the near post and facing Lawal, reached down with his right hand and
deflected the ball into his own net. "We had the match in our
grasp," Spanish coach Javier Clemente said. "We could have won 3-1, but it
got away from us, We just got careless." Oliseh, given time to
calculate his shot, blasted a low drive that glanced off the post and past
Zubizarreta, playing in his fourth World Cup. "I have to
congratulate Nigeria. That third goal was just sensational," added
Clemente, whose team lost for just the second time in 35 outings.
Spain is perennially one of Europe's strongest teams and has qualified for
six World Cup finals in a row, yet its best showing was fourth place in
1950. The Super Eagles made their cup debut four years ago and threw
a scare into eventual finalist Italy in the
second round. Victory at the Atlanta Games only increased expectations.
But beset by injuries -- neither Nwankwo Kanu (ankle) nor Daniel
Amokachi (knee) played Saturday -- the team dropped recent World Cup warmup
games to Germany, Yugoslavia
and Netherlands
by a combined score of 9-1. "We showed Nigeria is not dead," Oliseh
said. "Our problem now is to keep our heads." Spain exploited
Nigeria's inconsistency to take the lead through a Fernando Hierro free
kick and a goal by Raul Gonzalez off an assist from his Real Madrid
teammate. "We let in some silly goals," defender Taribo West said.
"But I never doubted for one minute we could win." The spot kick, in
the 21st minute, was awarded when Mobi Oparaku fouled Alfonso Perez a they
went up for a floating ball. Hierro curled his shot around the defensive
wall, and goalkeeper Peter Rufai watched as the ball bounced inside the
right post. Nigeria tied it at 1-1 in the 25th as midfielder Mutiu
Adepoju leaped to head home Lawal's corner kick, but two minutes into the
second half Raul made it 2-1 by flashing in on the left side and
spectacularly volleying home a long through ball from Hierro. "The
worst part is that we had the game won," Hierro said. "Nigeria is a great
team physically. They've got very strong players. We didn't slow down the
game and they were able to beat us with their speed." Nigerian coach
Bora Milutinovic, with his record fourth different country at the World
Cup, sparked the attack in the 70th by sending on Yekini for the
ineffective Oparaku, who was repeatedly beaten down the flank by Raul.
The move paid immediate dividends, with Yekini setting up the equalizer
and creating more space for the Nigerian attack. "The game is 90
minutes and you have to be aware you won't play well the whole time," said
Milutinovic, draped in an "agbada," an embroidered white Nigerian dress
team officials gave him before the match. "What's important is to play well
at the end, and we did. "The way we fought back to win was a very,
very valuable, especially against a team like Spain." The match
started with a moment of silence for Fernand Sastre, the French World Cup
organizing committee co-president who died earlier Saturday of lung cancer.
Former soccer star Michel Platini, the other co-president, was among
those who observed the tribute. Lineups Spain:
Andoni Zubizarreta; Alberto Ferrer (Guillermo Amor, 46th minute), Rafael
Alkorta, Sergi Barjuan, Ivan Campo, Miguel Angel Nadal (Alberto Celades,
77th); Fernando Hierro, Luis Enrique Martinez, Raul Gonzalez; Alfonso Perez
(Joseba Etxeberria, 58th); Kiko Narvaez. Nigeria: Peter
Rufai; Mobi Oparaku (Rasheed Yekini, 70th), Taribo West, Uche Okechukwu,
Celestine Babayaro; Sunday Oliseh, Garba Lawal (Godwin Okpara, 90th),
Jay-Jay Okocha, Mutiu Adepoju; Finidi George, Victor Ikpeba (Tijani
Babangida, 83rd).
Referee: Esse Baharmast, United
States.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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