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The second half started brightly for the Spanish team with Raul poaching a cross and slotting it home with just two minutes on the clock. Most fans expected Spain to run over Nigeria, though the African side showed better defensive resilience than what was seen in the warm up games.
In the 73rd minute Nigeria equalized through winger Lawal’s shot from an acute angle which was deflected into the goal in a rather tame manner by Spanish captain Zubizarreta. Zubizarreta had already declared ahead of the World Cup that this would be his last appearance in the national shirt. Some believed he was already past his prime and time was apt for Cannizares (Ex Real Madrid and Valencia) to step up. That was perhaps the turning point in the game as Spanish shoulders dropped and Nigeria looked the stronger side by dictating play and increasing the tempo.
The Spanish team looked out on legs as time drew close and in the 78th minute a clearance from throw in fell to Oliseh who scored one of the tournaments finest goals from 30 yards. There was nothing much that Zubizarreta could have done about this one with the ball thumping into the net and with that Nigeria had scripted one of World Cups greatest ever comebacks.
After the game an elated Oliseh said “We showed Nigeria is not dead, our problem now is to keep our heads.”
Kept their heads they did by topping the group much to the surprise of the footballing world and going to the round of 16 where they eventually lost to Denmark. This was one of their best performances in a World Cup and stands till date, some would say that they could have achieved more; the others lived in romance of the comeback.
Nigeria’s performances ever since in World Cups have nothing to boast about with the team struggling to make beyond the first round in 2002 and failing to qualify for the 2006 edition. A lot was expected of them in the 2010 World Cup considering it was played in Africa though the team disappointed again with losses to Argentina and Greece and managing just a draw against the Koreans. Victory in African Cup of Nations in 2013 has given their fans a lot of hope though the 3-0 drubbing at the hands of Spain meant the gulf between the teams was now far wider and a lot of ground to be covered.
For Spain it was a forgettable campaign as they drew their next match with Paraguay and though they thumped Bulgaria by 6 goals it was too little too late as they could only manage a third place finish in the group. The campaign was one of their biggest setbacks in a World Cup.
On that evening in Nantes, Spain looked far from being World champions or for that matter even a side close to the one that it is today. But as Buddha says, life has indeed come a full circle for Spanish football and its fans.
