World Cup’s 101 Most Memorable Moments: Sunday Oliseh’s screamer vs. Spain

By Doug McIntyre
FOX Sports Soccer Writer

Editor’s word: Each day between now and the kickoff of the primary match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup on Nov. 20, we’ll unveil a distinct reminiscence from World Cup historical past. The countdown from 101 continues with Sunday Oliseh’s rocket in opposition to Spain in 1998.

There’s one thing to be stated for sheer energy.

Pretty passing sequences and deftly positioned pictures are good and all, however typically you do not wish to watch the lock get picked — you wish to see a ball hit with sufficient drive to blow all the home down.

That’s what Sunday Oliseh gave us in Nigeria’s first match of the 1998 World Cup. The defensive midfielder wasn’t identified for scoring — he managed just one different objective in 53 worldwide appearances — however he knew what to do when a Spain clearance fell to him 30 yards from objective with about 12 minutes remaining within the recreation.

Fernando Hierro and Raul scored for Spain on both aspect of halftime, however Nigeria equalized twice. With time working brief, Hierro cleared a Super Eagles throw-in deep in his personal finish. Oliseh caught it on the half-volley and thundered a low strike simply contained in the submit previous shocked La Roja backstop Andoni Zubizarreta.

Oh my, Oliseh

Sunday Oliseh hit a screamer from 30 yards out in Nigeria’s 3-2 victory over Spain at France ’98.

The kick could not have been extra ferocious. (*101*) solely was it sufficient to present Nigeria the win, but it surely additionally helped propel them to the highest of Group D. Spain, in the meantime, didn’t survive the group stage.

Talk a couple of highly effective shot.

One of the main soccer journalists in North America, Doug McIntyre has lined United States males’s and girls’s nationwide groups at a number of FIFA World Cups. Before becoming a member of FOX Sports in 2021, he was a workers author with ESPN and Yahoo Sports. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.