Gary Lineker scored two goals from the penalty spot not only to put England into the World Cup semi-finals but also to rescue them from one of the most humiliating defeats in their history. The harsh truth is that for long periods Cameroon played England off the park in a dramatic duel that was draining both physically and emotionally, and only a mixture of enormous luck and true grit pulled England through. It was thirty-eight-year-old Roger Milla who wrote himself into World Cup folklore against England. The silken skills of substitute Milla were released into the match at the start of the second-half with Cameroon unlucky to be trailing 1-0 to an excellent goal that had been burgled by David Platt.  Paul Gascoigne was helping out in an overworked defence when he collided with Milla and conceded a penalty in the sixty-first minute which was converted by Emmanuel Kundé. Four minutes later Milla drew defenders towards him before threading a pass through to substitute Eugene Ekéké. He sprinted clear, and then almost casually flicked the ball into the net past Shilton. With six minutes to  go, Gary  Lineker  spun in the penalty area and was brought down by  Thomas Libiih. Lineker himself scored from the spot to breathe life back into England. There was a fresh crisis for England when Mark Wright was cut and badly dazed as he headed the back of Milla's head. He was treated for a jagged Gash on his forehead, and then bravely played on through extra time with a huge plaster protecting a wound that later needed seven stitches.  In the fourteenth minute of extra time Gascoigne pushed a perfect pass through to  Lineker, whose promising run towards goal was halted when goalkeeper Thomas Nkono pulled him down. Lineker shot his penalty on a straight line into the net. England had won a memorable match, and created history by becoming the first English team to reach a World Cup semi-final on foreign soil.

Source Notes

Louis-Paul Mfédé died on 10 June 2013

TheFA.com
Original newspaper reports
Original television broadcast
PlanetWorldCup
Rothman's Yearbooks
Mike Payne's England: The Complete Post-War Record (Breedon Books Publishing Company, Derby, U.K., 1993)
Norman Giller, Football Author
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CG