Augustine Okocha Honoured with FIFA’s Special Superior Player of the Match Award for 1998 Nigeria vs Spain World Cup Masterclass
Super Eagles legend Augustine Okocha has been recognised with a special “Superior Player of the Match” award for his remarkable performance in Nigeria’s famous 3‑2 win over Spain at the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France.
Okocha unveiled the silver trophy in a video posted to his Instagram on Thursday, June 11, opening a custom‑made case that housed the award.
“Hello, this is JJ Okocha. I’m about to unveil this special award being given to me by FIFA,” the 52‑year‑old said.
“It was given to me for winning the Man of the Match in a World Cup game, Nigeria versus Spain 1998.
Special thank you to Michelob ULTRA and Copa90 for this amazing recognition. I’m so honoured to receive it.”
About the Award Initiative
The accolade stems from a joint project by Michelob ULTRA and Copa90 designed to highlight exceptional individual performances from FIFA World Cups that occurred before the official Player of the Match award was introduced in 2002.
Organisers reviewed historical records and match archives to identify players whose contributions warranted formal recognition across hundreds of World Cup fixtures.
A Look Back at the Historic Match
The award arrives almost three decades after one of the most memorable encounters in Nigerian football history.
Nigeria arrived at the tournament as outsiders, facing a Spanish side stacked with stars such as Raúl González, Fernando Hierro, Luis Enrique, Fernando Morientes, Santiago Cañizares and legendary goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta.
Coming into the game on the back of three consecutive friendly defeats — 1‑0 to Germany, 3‑0 to the former Yugoslavia and 5‑1 to the Netherlands — the Super Eagles produced a stunning display in Nantes, driven by Okocha’s brilliance in midfield.
Spain took the lead through Hierro’s free‑kick, but Mutiu Adepoju headed in a corner from Garba Lawal to level the scores.
Raúl restored Spain’s advantage early in the second half, yet Nigeria hit back when Zubizarreta inadvertently turned Lawal’s cross into his own net.
With 12 minutes remaining, Sunday Oliseh sealed the comeback with a superb volley after a Spanish defender headed Okocha’s long throw into his path.
Throughout the match, Okocha tormented Spanish defenders with his skill, movement and passing, helping Nigeria claim one of its greatest World Cup victories.
The Super Eagles advanced to the round of 16 alongside Paraguay, while Spain and Bulgaria were eliminated from the tournament.
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