With each World Cup the possibility of an African nation winning the tournament or at least reaching the final becomes more feasible. Nigeria's exhilarating victory over Spain in Nantes on Saturday proved a point made by themselves in the United States four years ago and by Cameroon in Italia 90. The Africans are no longer just a warm-up act.

Having twice come from behind to beat Javier Clemente's experienced, skilful and well-organised Spanish side, a team considered more than an outside bet to triumph in France, the Nigerians will once more be the subjects of the sort of romantic speculation which followed their early progress in 1994.

Then a sweeping 3-0 win over Bulgaria in Dallas took everybody's breath away, but in the second phase they ran into Italy and a revived Roberto Baggio, losing 2-1 in Foxboro after extra-time.

So what are their chances now? It is too early to say. As their coach, Bora Milutinovic, remarked after Saturday's game: "This is only one step. We need a minimum of five points to go through. For the moment luck is with us."

Well, yes, luck did play a part. The fortuitous moment which turned the match arrived 17 minutes from the end when Spain were leading 2-1. Then Miguel Nadal and Rafael Alkorta collided going for the ball and Nigeria suddenly found themselves in a broad avenue of space. After Garba Lawal had outpaced Ivan Campo on the left he seemed to waste the opportunity with a poor low centre which Andoni Zubizarreta had well covered, but the Spanish goalkeeper, over-anticipating and moving away from the near post, flung back a hand to block the ball and pushed it over the line.

If Spain flop in this tournament Zubizarreta will surely be their fall guy. Yet, after the farce of Nigeria's equaliser, no one in the Stade de la Beaujoire was prepared for the stunning quality of their winning goal four minutes later. Fernando Hierro met a long throw from the right with a powerful header out of the penalty area, but the ball fell to Sunday Oliseh, Nigeria's long-shot specialist, who scored with a thunderbolt from 30 yards, the ball clipping the lefthand post on its way in.

Clemente's natural caution may be held partly responsible for Spain's defeat. He played two defenders, Nadal and Hierro, in midfield and refused to bring on the in-form striker Fernando Morientes even after his team fell behind.

The way Spain began, however, neither formation nor substitutions seemed relevant. The 25yard free-kick from Hierro, which in the 20th minute caught goalkeeper Peter Rufai badly positioned and brushed both Raul and the green-dreadlocked Taribo West on its way into the net, was a logical consequence of Spain's impressive start. But four minutes later a corner produced a simple goal as Finidi George's cross dropped beyond Hierro for Mutiu Adepoju to head the scores level.

Still the day promised to be Spain's. No sooner had the second half begun than Raul sprinted past Mobi Oparaku to meet Hierro's long pass with an excellent leftfoot volley past Rufai.

There ended the Spanish lesson. By the time another similar chance fell to Raul the match was slipping away from them and Nigeria were full of the running which was no longer in Spain's legs. Raul sliced his shot wide, Oliseh's winner followed, and JayJay Okocha finished the game taunting the exhausted bulls with his irrepressible skills.