A Hindsight into the Great Footballers, musing the unforgettable.

Seniormost yet Prolific – Roger Milla:

Roger Milla’s status as a Cameroonian football legend was established long before he travelled to the 1994 FIFA World Cup USA. More than a decade ago, he had elevated his country to the global finals for the first time, top scoring with Six Goals in African qualifying to secure the Indomitable Lions’ place at Spain 1982.

Milla’s profile then skyrocketed at Italy 1990 when he came out of international retirement to play a pivotal role in Cameroon’s campaign. The then 38 year’s old netted four times during his team’s run to the quarter-finals, which remains their best-ever World Cup performance. In doing so, he also became the oldest scorer in the history of the tournament.

Remarkably, the age-defying Milla wasn’t done yet on the sport’s biggest stage. He was named in Cameroon’s squad for USA 1994, and proved he still had Midas touch in front of goal. With Cameroon 0-3 down to Russia at half-time in their group-stage fixture, coach Henri Michel turned to his veteran No.9, who had been named among the substitutes for the third straight game. Within one minute of his introduction, Milla shrugged off a defender’s challenge before sending a clinical finish beyond goalkeeper Stanislav Cherchesov. With that strike, the 42 year’s young broke his own record as the World Cup’s oldest-ever scorer.

“To my mind, that goal and that record showed the people who doubted me that I still had it in me, despite my age, and physically, I wasn’t 100%, but I still had my technique”, Milla commented in an interview with FIFA.

In that World Cup match, Russia went on to plunder another three answered goals against Cameroon, but Milla had set a record which stands to this day, and added to his legacy as true football icon.

“Nothing’s impossible but it’ll be very difficult to beat. I think my record has got a few good years left in it yet”, said Roger Milla.

Batigol – Gabriel Batistuta:

One of the most feared strikers of his generation, at his explosive peak Gabriel Batistuta was an almost unstoppable force. The Argentinian striker was an exceptional finisher, capable of shooting with deadly power and accuracy off both feet. His physicality, acceleration and sharp movement made him a nightmare to defend against, and he also possessed an innate ability to deliver when it mattered most.

By the time he made his FIFA World Cup debut at USA in 1994, he had by then helped his country to claim consecutive Copa America titles in 1991 and 1993, scoring in both finals. It was unsurprising, then, that ‘Batigol’ took to the global international stage reminiscent to his predecessor the legendary Mario Kempes.

Foxboro Stadium played host to the Fiorentina icon’s maiden World Cup appearance, with more than 50,000 fans turning out for Argentina’s tournament opener against Greece. Batistuta just took less than two minutes to make his mark, driving forward before finding the bottom corner of the net with an impudent finish. He had his second just before half-time, his venomous outside-of-the-boot shot swerving beyond the grasp of goalkeeper Antonios Minou.

A Diego Maradona stunner put La Albiceleste 3-0 ahead, before Batistuta completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in stoppage time. The word ‘emphatic’ doesn’t quite to justice to his spot-kick: Batistuta almost burst the net with a thunderous strike as he rounded off a dream World Cup debut in style. He went on to score his fourth goal of the tournament in Argentina’s Round of 16 clash with Romania, but the game ultimately ended in disappointment, with the South Americans edged out in a 3-2 thriller.

After four more prolific seasons in Serie A, Batistuta returned to the World Cup at France 1998 and would again showcase his elite quality. After netting the winner in Argentina’s opener against Japan, he made history in their second game of the tournament.

La Albiceleste led Jamaica 2-0 with just 17 minutes remaining, but Batistuta was in no mood to take his foot off the accelerator. He got his team’s third with a sweetly struck drive and added another when his powerful effort proved too hot for Jamaica keeper Warren Barrett to handle. Then, with seven minutes left to play, Ariel Ortega (then with jersey number 10) was bundled over in the penalty box, the referee pointed to the spot, and Batistuta had a golden chance to set a World Cup record. No player had ever scored hat-tricks in two editions of the tournament before, but here stood Argentina’s talismanic centre-forward, primed to go where no man had before.

The result was almost inevitable. Batistuta’s technique was identical to that used when he completed his treble against Greece four years previously: he battered the ball home, with the velocity of the strike propelling him momentarily into mid-air with both feet off the ground. Batistuta and Argentina’s campaign would end at the quarter-final stage, with a 2-1 defeat to the Netherlands. Nevertheless, France 1998 saw one of the nation’s all-time greats further enhance his legend.

Team Maverick