The 36-year-old Zubizarreta, winning his 124th cap, was guilty of a gruesome mistake in the 73rd minute when he parried Garba Lawal's left-footed cross into the Spanish net and was beaten again five minutes later by Sunday Oliseh's fierce drive from outside the box.

The two incidents completely transformed a game which Barcelona's 20-year-old sensation Raul seemed to have wrapped up for Spain with a sweet 47th-minute volley. Instead, Nigeria's extra strength in mid-field belatedly earned its reward.

The result scarcely looked likely early on as Spain started in electric fashion. Raul forced a diving save from Peter Rufai inside the first 10 seconds and then hit the bar with a free header in the fifth minute.

Despite the occasional threat of lone Nigerian striker Victor Ikpeba, the SuperEagles won only scraps of possession and went behind in the 21st minute. A free-kick conceded on the edge of the area by Mobi Oparuku allowed Fernando Hierro to bend the ball around a static Rufai and the Spanish fans sat back in expectation of a fiesta.

Instead, Nigeria were back level within three minutes, Real Sociedad mid-fielder Mutiu Adepoju ramming home a header straight from a corner to ensure himself brief unpopularity in his adopted home country.

With sheeting rain returning to make the pitch greasy and defending a hazardous business, Nigeria started to take control of mid-field and Sunday Oliseh showed sufficient confidence to attempt to lob Zubizarreta from inside his own half.