Roger Milla: the 38-year-old who took Africa to a World Cup quarter-final
Cameroon's forward scored four times off the bench at Italia 90, danced at the corner flag and scored again at 42.
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Yaoundé — At 38, an age when most forwards have retired, Roger Milla became one of the stars of the 1990 World Cup. FIFA has described him as one of the first global stars from Africa.
Four goals from the bench
Milla started every match of that tournament as a substitute. He scored twice against Romania and twice in extra time against Colombia in the last 16, each time celebrating with a dance at the corner flag that has been copied ever since. Cameroon became the first African team to reach the World Cup quarter-finals.
The tournament also brought Cameroon's upset win over Argentina, the defending champions.
A long road to Italy
Born Albert Roger Miller on 20 May 1952, he first played for Cameroon in 1973 and won 77 caps, scoring 43 goals. He appeared at the 1982 World Cup, when Cameroon went out unbeaten after three draws, and he won the 1984 Africa Cup of Nations, beating Nigeria 3-1 in the final. In 1986 he was the tournament's top scorer and best player.
Older still
Four years after Italy, at 42, he scored against Russia at the 1994 World Cup, breaking his own record as the tournament's oldest scorer.
In 2004 Pelé named him in the FIFA 100, and in 2007 the Confederation of African Football named him the best African player of the previous 50 years. When he retired, his five World Cup goals were the most by an African, a record later passed by Ghana's Asamoah Gyan.
Background: Wikipedia.
