Although already 38 years old at the time, Roger Milla became one of the stars of the 1990 World Cup. His four goals, which helped Cameroon become the first African nation to reach the quarter-final stage, were celebrated with a dance around the corner flag, a new phenomenon. Milla had already retired before 1990, but had been asked back by the Cameroonian president to take part in the World Cup. Earlier, Milla had played in the 1982 World Cup and 1984 Olympic Games. Between 1977 and 1989, Milla played for various French teams, notably Saint-Étienne and Montpellier. Milla then rejoined the Cameroonian competition, and made his final international appearance at the 1994 World Cup. In the group stages, he scored against Russia (in 1-6 defeat) to become the oldest goalscorer ever at the event. Milla has received various awards, including Best African Player of the last Fifty Years (in 2006), and African Player of the Year (1976 and 1990).
Cameroon