Lada car reward for Serbia's match-winner Aleksandar Kolarov

Kolarov's free-kick earned his side a 1-0 win over Costa Rica on Sunday – and a vehicle from the governor of Samara

Serbia's Aleksandar Kolarov, right, celebrates his winning goal against Costa Rica, which has also earned him a free Lada. AP

Serbia's Aleksandar Kolarov had a good day in Samara: he scored a magnificent World Cup goal and was presented with a Lada by the governor of Samara.

The Roma defender struck a thunderous second-half free-kick that clinched Serbia a 1-0 victory over Costa Rica on Sunday.

"Kolarov scored a wonderful goal and we gave him a prize – a certificate for a Lada 4x4," acting governor Dmitry Azarov was quoted as saying by the Izvestia newspaper.

"He was very happy and the entire team celebrated the news."

There was no comment from any of the Serbian players about what they thought of the gift.

The no-frills brand has been trying to improve its image after spending much of its history being the butt of jokes for its unreliability and outdated design.

Lada was called Zhiguli in the Soviet era and is still produced in the Samara region by the VAZ factory.

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