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Tag: Enyeama

  • Peterside  makes case for Enyeama as Eagles goalkeepers’ trainer 

    Peterside  makes case for Enyeama as Eagles goalkeepers’ trainer 

    After both International Friendly games against Saudi Arabia and Mozambique, football fans have continued to express worries over the goalkeeping issues in the Super eagles as we build up to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire.

    The abysmal showing of the  eagles first choice goalkeeper Francis Uzoho, in recent matches for Nigeria has further echoes the fears of several football stakeholders who have called for an urgent attention to the quality of goalkeepers in the national team if the country is to excel at next year’s Nations Cup in Ivory Coast.

    Former Nigerian international Idah Peterside has called for the return of former Eagles goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama to the national team to salvage the goalkeeping issues in the team.

    Idah, who was live on  Nigeria’s longest serving independent sports  program Sportsville on Channels television, said Vincent Enyeama should be engaged as the eagles goalkeeper coach to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire. 

    According to the former Moroka Swallows of South Africa goalkeeper, Enyeama’s presence in the eagles will motivate the likes of Uzoho to step up their game.

    ” If we bring in an Enyeama as the goalkeeper coach, his wealth of experience as a former AFCON winner and two times World Cup goalkeeper for Nigeria will significantly help to improve the goalies in camp.

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    ” The current eagles goalkeepers craves a leather, somebody they can look up to and truly learn from and I believe a Vincent Enyeama will provide that before and during the AFCON tournament,” he said.

    Peterside, further said he does not know the current eagles goalkeeper trainer and this could breed speculations that the fellow does not have the requisite experience to support the national team goalkeepers.

    He added: ” We can’t have several goalkeepers who have kept for Nigeria in the past and have someone whose name I don’t know as the national team goalkeeper coach in 2023, this is totally unacceptable.

    ” In as much as Vincent Enyeama remains my preferred choice as the goalies coach, I think a Peter Rufai, will also do a great job in that capacity if given the opportunity.”

    On the chances of Nigeria winning her  fourth  Africa Cup of Nations Tittle in Cote d’Ivoire, Idah said he was confident the eagles will get to the semifinal if the defensive and goalkeeping issues is addressed but wouldn’t guarantee Nigeria winning the tournament.

    Nigeria has been drawn in Group A alongside the host Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea Bissau and Equatorial Guinea.

    The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations will run from 13 January – 11 February 2024.

  • Enyeama, Okocha hail Super Eagles, say better days ahead

    Former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama, has commended the team and urged Coach Gernot Rohr to build for better days after their heartbreaking exit from the Russia 2018 World Cup on Tuesday.

    Nigeria were dumped out of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia after they lost 2-1 to Argentina at Saint Petersburg, Russia.

    Argentina scraped through to the Round of 16 after Lionel Messi broke his drought at the tournament to give the two-time world champions the lead in the 13th minute.

    It was the fifth time the Nigeria team was losing to Argentina at the World Cup.

    Victor Moses restored parity for the Super Eagles from the spot after Javier Mascherano was adjudged to have fouled Leon Balogun in the box.

    Marcos Rojo scored a stunning late winner three minutes from time to send Jorge Sampaoli’s side to the next round.

    Nigeria finished third in Group D with three points, one adrift of Argentina who nicked second spot with the victory.

    However, Enyeama tweeted on Wednesday “Naija forever. Win or lose. Qualify or eliminated.#WeAreNigeria we build for better days.”

    Also, former Nigerian captain, Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha, admitted that the Super Eagles lost to Argentina due to “limited experience.”

    He said “Uzoho kept us in the game with the saves he made in the second half. We panicked in the first half,” as he analysed the game on SuperSport.

    Okocha added that “We were not clear to keep more players in attack. We were limited in terms of experience.

    “It was a gift from Mascherano but then I thought we started the second half better. We got ourselves in better places. It was a fantastic penalty from Moses but I think we should have put them under more pressure.”

    On the controversial penalty denied the Super Eagles, the former Bolton Wanderers playmaker said the Nigerian team did not put more pressure on the referee.

    Marcos Rojo handled the ball in the box involuntarily and the referee viewed it on VAR but ruled it out.

    “Nobody appealed under the referee. We know what the Argentines are like. Rojo got away with one.”

    On Wilfred Ndidi’s chance in the 76th minute, Okocha said: “he had more time to keep the ball down to take a good shot.

    “Scoring is not his thing but I feel he should have kept the ball a close more to take a better shot.”

    On Odion Ighalo’s miss, Okocha’s said: “it was a glorious chance, the ball sat down well for him. If I was Ighalo, I would try to force a save from the goalkeeper. If you don’t hit the target you don’t get your job done.”

    Ighalo extended his goal drought to eight games. The Changchun Yatai striker has scored four goals in 21 games for the Super Eagles.

    On the late goal the team conceded, the former PSG play maker added: “We’ve seen so many late goals in this tournament. Poor defending. Moses reacted late. I have seen him deal with that at Chelsea. I can’t fault the effort of the player the gave their best.

    “It was going to be tough for us and it lived up to that and it went to the last three minutes, but I think we have to look at the bigger picture. Most of these players it was the first time.

    “For the manager he did well. It’s about continuity. We don’t have to point fingers at anyone,” he said.

  • Why Enyeama won’t be in Russia —Rohr

    Super Eagles manager Gernot Rohr has reiterated that he would not rescind his decision to omit Lille goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama from Nigeria’s 2018 World Cup roster.

    Enyeama called time on his international career in October 2015 following a row with former Nigeria coach, Sunday Oliseh, but there were insinuations that he may go back on his decision and rejoin the national team.

    Enyeama’s inactivity for Ligue 1 strugglers Lille has counted against him and Rohr has kept faith with the goalkeepers he used during the World Cup qualifiers and November’s friendly against Argentina in his latest roster.

    ”He has problems in Lille. He is currently not playing and is only the number three at his side,” Rohr told Soccer Laduma.

    ”He wanted to switch clubs, but he didn’t find a new team. As a consequence, the question about Enyeama returning is not really up for debate.”

    Enyeama, 35, was part of Nigeria’s roster for the 2002, 2010 and 2014 World Cups. Enyimba’s Ikechukwu Ezenwa, Chippa United’s Daniel Akpeyi and Spanish-based Francis Uzoho are far ahead of other candidates as the three goalkeepers to be named in the squad for this summer’s football fiesta in Russia.

  • It’s time to recall Enyeama

    It’s time to recall Enyeama

    The need to recall Vincent Enyeama to join the Super Eagles squad to the 2018 World Cup in Russia has become important and urgent. The team needs a strong, experienced goal keeper to prosecute the tournament. I have followed the debate over the need for Enyeama to stage a comeback from retirement with keen interest. But one has difficulty connecting logic with reason on the varied opinions so far expressed. For instance, those afraid of his recall have argued that his inclusion will bring rivalry, acrimony and disaffection in the team over the issue of leadership. But they hardly explained how? Those with this opinion neither realised that Enyeama has since moved on; nor appreciated that the train had since left the station because a lot of water has passed under the bridge.

    There is also the argument that because he was not involved in the qualification stages of the World Cup, his inclusion would amount to reaping where he did not sow. In their opinion, the other goal keepers would feel short-changed and their aspiration to showcase their talents at the world stage would have been jeopardized. All the arguments against the recall of Enyeama are largely narrow, driven by ego, pride, selfish and flimsy considerations. The only valid argument that one could relate to, remains the concern by the Super Eagles Coach, Gernot Rohr over the fitness of Enyeama. This remains a genuine reason especially with reports that he was nursing an injury. Even at that, the optimism of the Coach that Nigeria’s current quagmire over who mans the post during World Cup would be laid to rest if Enyeama is fit, able and willing to return to the Super Eagles. The confidence of the coach from his pronouncements is not only valid but professional. It also conveys a strong message of a coach with sincerity of purpose and focus to deliver results by using the best we have to get the best we want. Gernot Rohr’s should follow this path now that Enyeama has fully recovered, has rejoined his team – Lille – in France and has resumed training. Besides, the coach should please move closer to the player with some authority of ownership. This will help push the boundaries of pride over who blinks first which we do not need at this time. Every good coach knows that the World Cup tournament is where experience, character, courage and track record count a great deal. And success is what matters.  Besides, football is no longer just a game but has assumed a strategic position in the world economy. It has also become an emerging big business and an element of state power. That is why big economies like China and the USA have become big investors with huge interests in the game of football.

    For Russia 2018, all Nigerians around the world look forward to results not reasons. Vincent Enyeama is not finished. Something points to his direction that in 2018 World Cup he has a date with history in favour of Nigeria.  Enyeama has virtues that we currently lack among the aspiring goal keepers in the team.  It requires more than two eyes to see why Enyeama is needed in Russia. The coach should develop more eyes to see the opportunities in Enyeama’s return to fortify the team he has worked so hard to assemble within so short a time.

    His presence in the goal post equally exudes confidence, trust and reduces the chances of hypertension for the rest of us watching on television. It is worthy of note that when he left the national team, he did not do so with fanfare and great memories as expected. He left under painful, controversial circumstances that could have been avoided.  He was said to have been stripped of his captain’s band while he was away for the burial of his dear mother in his native Akwa Ibom State. Those who plotted his exit during a most trying moment of his life actually hit him below the belt.

    While Nigeria is yet to recover from the moral crisis of rewarding him with a bad coin in spite of his valuable, exceptional service to his country, the time to let go has come.   While one notes and in fact applaud the amazing job so far done by the Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr, with stoic support of the NFF led by Amaju Pinick, the recall of Enyeama is one more hurdle they must cross.  And the time is now. This bold decision will simply nail the coffin on Eagles preparation.  Let the request be formally made publicly for Enyeama to have a soft landing. I have no doubt that he will not let his country and his numerous supporters down especially at this time. No matter how it is presented, a half–fit Enyeama is better in Russia than the current plot to “gamble” with those eager to learn on the job. Pinnick’s NFF and Gernot Rohr must note that since the 1994 squad, at no other time in the history of Nigerian football, is our country ready to take the world head-on than now with the squad they have laboured to assemble. We therefore need to seize the moment. Examples are common of many football nations that put pride aside and recalled their stars from retirement to fortify their teams when it mattered most.

     

    • Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, Abuja.

  • Clap for Enyeama

    Colin Udoh isn’t a flippant journalist. Udoh is a stickler for details. An engineer, his passion for sports is remarkable. He is an unrepentant supporter of Manchester United FC of England. Besides, he follows the domestic game with almost equal measure. Did I hear you say ‘so what about Udoh?’ Udoh deserves all the accolades because in picking his better half, he chose a former Nigerian woman football icon, former Miss Mercy Akide, to explain how adept he is in sport.

    Mercy Akide stands tall in terms of her feats in soccer, like the late Rashidi Yekini for Super Eagles. In 2001, she was named the first African Woman Footballer of the Year, and was a 1999 and 2004 FIFA World All-Star. She has played for Nigeria in three FIFA Women’s World Cups and also helped Nigeria’s Super Falcons to three African Women Championships (AWC) titles  – 1998, 2000 and 2002. In November 2004, she married football journalist Colin Udoh in her home town of Port Harcourt. In 2005, she was named by FIFA as one of its 15 Ambassadors for Women Football.  I digress!

    Udoh cherishes exclusives. And so, when he wrote on a platform that Vincent Enyeama won’t return to the Super Eagles, I shouted ‘’Eureka.’’  Udoh was so sure of this statement that he asked those who cared to read the message to exchange it for cash at a bank. So, the dust of Enyeama’s likely return to the Eagles for the Russia 2018 World Cup has been blown away.

    Besides, Enyeama has shown that he is a man of his word, having told us repeatedly that he is through with Nigeria’s international matches. The World Cup no longer motivates Enyeama. He was at the 2002 Mundial in Japan, South Africa in 2010 and Brazil in 2014. He has taken part in the Confederations Cup for national teams, so what is left for him? I’m sure Enyeama doesn’t want to be like others who came out of retirement to represent Nigeria, only to leave with ignominy.

    It is good that Enyeama has confirmed his absence with ample time for the coaches to search for better goalkeepers. Goalkeepers are as good as their defences. Gernot Rohr should train his players to mark their opponents as soon as they lose possession of the ball. Goalkeepers Ikechukwu Ezenwa, Daniel Akpeyi and Francis Uzoho have shown the potential to be better players if told what to do during matches. Argentina, for example, isn’t losing sleep over the fact that their first choice goalkeeper, Romero, is a bench warmer at Manchester United. The Argentine coach didn’t consider it a problem when he fielded the reserve against Nigeria in Russia; friendlies are meant to correct flaws noticed in a team.

    Perhaps Rohr should get us the best goalkeeper trainer, like Clemens Westerhof did shortly before USA ’94 World Cup, when he couldn’t decide who was Nigeria’s best. The trainer picked Peter Rufai ahead of others and Westerhof respected the trainer’s judgment. Westerhof wasn’t comfortable with Rufai’s cult hero status with the fans. The Dutch wanted to be the king and didn’t want to share that with any player. Chants of ‘’Dodo Mayana’’  from the fans each time the team arrived on the pitch irritated Westerhof.

    History has an uncanny way of repeating itself. In 1998, Nigeria qualified for the World Cup, with one game to spare, under the tutelage of the white witchdoctor, Philipe Troussier. Troussier, a Frenchman, built a new squad that reduced the number of our established stars, using the 3-5-2 formation. Troussier’s new formation effectively knocked off those stars in the twilight of their careers. Rather than allow Troussier lead the team to the Mundial, a former loquacious sports minister kicked the Frenchman out on spurious grounds that the players wanted to play the 4-4-2 formation that won Nigeria gold at the Atlanta’96 Olympics and our historic outing at the USA’94 World Cup. A case of the student picking his teacher for the parents, only in Nigeria can this happen, largely because of the fixation on how the team should look, without considering the fact that many of the players would have lost form since their emergence as stars. With Troussier out, the players opted for journeyman Bora Milutinovic, who did their bidding, such that holidaying players, who wouldn’t have made Troussier’s squad, returned. Based on fixation, an admixture of those who excelled at the USA’94 World Cup and the Atlanta’96 Olympic Games would fetch us the World Cup. For those short-sighted people, especially the former minister, the Mundial has a long history of surprises, which humbled reigning champions.

    Of course, it took Adegboye Onigbinde to change things in the Eagles with the last game against England, no thanks to the government’s decision to drop some recalcitrant players, who misbehaved at the Mali 2002 Africa Cup of Nations. Enyeama’s refusal to rejoin the Eagles is the elixir the team needs to reinvent its formations for the good of the game.

     

    World Cup sharing formula

     

    In past editions, our players held us hostage at the World Cup over allowances and, most times, unbelievable demands before key matches. The players used such forum to blackmail NFF chiefs. No one has been jailed so far for misappropriating cash meant for the team.

    At France ’98 World Cup, the players got $15,000 upfront before confronting Denmark in the second round. They thought they could stroll through the Danes, especially when the quarter-finals game would have been against Argentina. Most Nigerians felt the Eagles would beat the Danes. A very popular newspaper was not on the stands the morning after the game because it had done a comprehensive package on the game between Nigeria and Brazil, which never held. The Danes whipped us 4-1. I have not stopped asking why players, who got paid at every stage of the competition, would be making incredible demands beyond what is recommended.

    If the France incident was a fiasco, what happened in Brazil in 2014 was laughable because we could have beaten the French if we were focused on the game. And I’m sure the players and officials would have earned more than what they got. What happened in France would have been avoided, if we hadn’t treated the players’ and coaches’ refusal to board the FIFA-chartered jet to Brazil for the 2013 Confederations Cup with kid gloves. Those who led the revolt in 2002 in Mali were stopped from participating at the Mundial in Japan.

    It is good that the sharing formula for the Mundial in Russia has been discussed, with the decisions sent to the Federal Government for approval. I hope the players and coaches were properly briefed about the government’s TSA. I also hope they know that FIFA’s cash comes months after the Mundial.

    I have been waiting to read what they would be paid as match winning bonuses, for drawn games and for daily allowances. We need to know how perennial attendees at the Mundial do theirs without rancour. Nigeria should never be the laughing stock at the Mundial, simply because of some unruly players and officials. Most times, these protests come before difficult games, giving the impression that the players and coaches know that such matches have been lost even before the kick-off.

     

    Nigeria 50th in the world?

     

    I really don’t know how the points for the monthly rankings are allocated to countries. Tips thrown in the public domain seem to be contradictory, especially this latest edition concerning the Super Eagles.

    Ordinarily, Nigeria’s 4-2 victory over Argentina should give our team enough points to lift us above the eighth position in Africa, to say the least. In fact, we have played against some the countries atop us and finished unscathed. We beat others. Nigeria is going to the Mundial unbeaten from a group where three countries that were eliminated were previous winners of the Africa Cup of Nations. Indeed, Nigeria whipped the defending African champions Indomitable Lions of Cameroon 4-0 in Uyo and drew 1-1 against the Cameroonians in Yaounde.

    I wonder where we would have been if Argentina had beaten Nigeria by the same margin. 50th after our unbeaten status going to the Mundial, raises many posers. It puts Nigeria in bad stead ahead of the draws in Russia on December 1.

    While FIFA puts Nigeria at 50, the parallel organisers of the monthly ranking, the World Football Elo Ratings, put Nigeria at 41, with a point haul of 1,691, as against the paltry 671.07 that FIFA gave us.

    The highly subjective ranking formula will confound even the best mathematician.  The formula is based on multiple factors that are summed up as P = M x I x T x C.

    M states whether the match is won, lost or drawn. A win fetches three points. A drawn match has a point and a loss fetches zero.

    This is multiplied by I, which stands for the importance of the match. A World Cup qualifying match is given the value of 2.5 as against 1.0 for a friendly match. So, Nigeria’s win over Malawi, for instance, will be 3 multiplied by 2.5, which should fetch seven points.

    In the ranking formula, the item T stands for the relative strength of the opposition. The pertinent question is, whether the item “T’’ had no bearing when a Nigerian side ranked 41st pummelled the fourth ranked Argentina in Russia earlier this month.

    According to FIFA, “the strength of the opponents is based on the formula: 200 – the ranking position of the opponents.

    “As an exception to this formula, the team at the top of the ranking is always assigned the value 200 and the teams ranked 150th and below are assigned a minimum value of 50. The ranking position is taken from the opponents’ ranking in the most recently published FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking.”

    So, the points obtained from the match are multiplied by the importance of the match and then the strength of the opposition and the continent involved.

  • Gernot Rohr Confirms Enyeama’s Return

    Gernot Rohr Confirms Enyeama’s Return

    Former captain and goalkeeper of the senior national team of Nigeria, Vincent Enyeama may have agreed to return to the national team according to hint from coach Gernot Rohr.
    The Super Eagles Coach hinted that an injury which required surgery ruled Enyeama out of the recently concluded back to back World Cup qualifying matches against Cameroon.Rohr who cited Enyeama’s injury as the reason why he was not in the squad for the games reckoned that the goalkeeper is now back in training as the number one goal keeper is close to a come back.Deemed surplus to requirements by new coach of Lille Marcelo Bielsa the Nigerian also need to sort out his club future before his return can be made according to coa‎ch Rohr.

    Enyeama is however keeping in touch with the progress of Nigeria at the ongoing World Cup 2018 Qualifiers, where they are one win away from qualifying for the‎ World Cup in Russia.

    The 34 year old gave his backing to the much talked about central defence partnership of Leon Balogun and William Troost-Ekong by retweeting a post from Ekong with the nickname given to the pair “OyiboWall”.

    Enyeama who has been away from the team for two years has however posted a video of himself doing some works with the ball as he trained.

     

  • Like Rufai, like Enyeama

    Like Rufai, like Enyeama

    I cherish the day Nigeria beat Bulgaria 3-0 in her debut game at the USA’94 World Cup.
    The victory left the competition’s pundits wondering where such young lads as Daniel Amokachi, Emmanuel Amuneke, Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha, Sunday Oliseh, Austin Eguavoen, Michael Emenalo and George Finidi learnt the tricks of the game.

    Samson Siasia, Benedict Iroha, Uche Okechukwu, Tijani Babangida, Peter Rufai, Mutiu Adepoju, the late Rashidi Yekini, the late Stephen Keshi, the late Thompson Oliha, the late Wilfred Agbonivbare, the late Uche Okafor, et al, were also part of the giant-killing team. The Bulgarians were better rated but we awed them with our skills and outran their defenders with sheer pace. The footage of how Amokachi rode the tackle before scoring the third goal formed part of the highlights of the goals at the Mundial in 1994.

    European clubs grabbed these new kids who painted the world with goals. There were others, such as Nwankwo Kanu, Taribo West, Victor Ikpeba, Dosu Joseph, Babangida, et al, who didn’t make the ’94 World Cup, but returned to form the nucleus of those who won Nigeria her first Olympic gold medal at the Atlanta 1996 Games soccer event in Georgia, on June 3. Olympic rules allow for three overage players (Okocha, Amokachi and Uche Okechukwu), yet not many can place a bet on which of the two teams (USA’94 Eagles and Dream Team 1) is the best.

    For soccer followers, it wasn’t much of a shock watching the Nigerian side tear the competition’s eventual third place side, Bulgaria, to smithereens. After all, Nigeria came to the Mundial as African champions.

    Rebuilding of the Super Eagles ahead of the 1994 Mundial arose from a crisis, which erupted in 1989 when Nigeria failed to qualify for the Italia 90 World Cup. Many people advocated a complete sweep of the old order. This didn’t come without complaints, especially when Clemens Westerhof dropped Peter Rufai at the airport en route the trip to Yaoundé. Nigeria lost 0-1 to the Indomitable Lions.

    The intervention of a former chairman of the then Nigeria Football Association (NFA), Group Captain John Obakpolor (retd), to ensure that Rufai made the Yaoundé trip failed. Obakpolor, though out of the Glasshouse then, urged Westerhof, who was a relatively new coach in the country, and didn’t know our players well, explained why Rufai should go to Yaoundé. This he did on the Lagos airport tarmac.

    “There is no gainsaying that at that time, Rufai was the best goalkeeper we had and he was in a terrific form. This is because there are some psychological things between the Nigerian and the Cameroonian teams. If any Cameroonian team saw Rufai in goal, they always trembled. But Westerhof said ‘no’ and that if I insisted Rufai should be on the trip, he would simply walk across the runway to the international wing and join the next flight to his country.

    “I said to him: ‘to hell with you.’ And what happened? We lost the match because the Cameroonians kept rushing our goalkeepers and intimidating them…they couldn’t have been able to intimidate Rufai,” Obakpolor said.

    The defeat cost Nigeria the World Cup ticket, but it served as the basis for the Dutch tactician to pick his men. Rufai’s cult status among the fans worried Westerhof, who couldn’t stomach the loud ovation anytime Dodo Mayana was around. Who will? Westerhof wanted to stamp his authority over his players and Rufai was sacrificed. The power brokers at the Glasshouse supported the Dutch, albeit to avenge Rufai’s alleged tantrums while fighting for the rights of his players anytime he was made team captain.

    Part of the purported strategies to wield the big stick on Rufai, and others, was the indiscipline clause. But Glasshouse chiefs had failed all the integrity tests as they didn’t play their part in their relationships with the players. Some of those who lost their places were Friday Ekpo, Etim Esin and, in many instances, Chidi Nwanu, although unlike Rufai,  Nwanu made it to only US’94 World Cup.

    Dropping Rufai from the Eagles came with a price. Goalkeeper Alloy Agu lost his tooth against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon. Agu was substituted with David Ngodigha. And thus began the futile search for Rufai’s replacement. Nigeria lost the Italia 1990 World Cup ticket. Cameroonians distinguished themselves in Italy but it was a lost opportunity for our boys on the altar of indiscipline.

    We tried several goalkeepers – the late Wilfred Agbonivbare, Ike Shorunmu et al, but that charismatic aura around Rufai was missing in these goalkeepers. Rufai’s agility and showmanship stood him out and endeared him to football faithful. Whereas, Westerhof won the battle to stop charismatic Rufai, he lost the battle and plot to belittle Okocha, whenever he played Jay Jay on the bench. If the Eagles were wobbling, Westerhof got the baptism as he was pelted with sachets of water thrown from the stands. That didn’t stop until he introduced Okocha to the game. On one of such occasions, Okocha scored a brilliant free kick and the fans carried Jay Jay on their shoulders after the game.

    Westerhof built the team that shone in 1990, losing his first game 1-5 to Algeria, but the team qualified for the finals against the same country, losing this time 0-1. By 1992, it was obvious that the Eagles will be in US, if they kept the tempo. It happened. Our sore points remained the goalkeeping area. The media embarked on a campaign to bring Rufai back.

    The campaign paid off as Rufai made the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia. He shone in the matches and contributed his quota to the country’s winning the tournament, which she won for the first time in 1980, in Lagos, beating Algeria 3-0. Credit must go to Westerhof for throwing the Eagles camp open ahead of both competitions in his quest for our best players. Indeed, the Dutch got a goalkeeper trainer to drill his goalkeepers, with the aim of picking his best; he chose Rufai as our best. Westerhof took the professional advice which helped the Eagles to be rated the fifth best at the Mundial, despite their ouster in controversial circumstances in the second round.

    Is this not what is playing out with the Vincent Enyeama saga, 23 years after? Well, Enyeama has undergone a successful surgery, making him unavailable for the matches against Bafana Bafana of South Africa in Uyo on June 10, and against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, also in Uyo, in August. NFF chiefs and manager, Gernot Rohr have ample time to decide on Enyeama. They should start by sending him get well messages. A hospital visit will not be out of place. These gestures could further convince the goalkeeper to rescind his decision to quit the game at that level.

    Enyeama is our best goalkeeper in Europe. He is the most consistent and regular goalkeeper at the elite class in France, winning accolades and getting rave reviews for his acrobatic displays during Ligue Un. Enyeama quit the team to avoid further altercations with Sunday Oliseh, which could have affected team discipline.

    Of course, Enyeama didn’t expect NFF chiefs to back him against the coach. If NFF chiefs show some love towards Enyeama, he will rejoin the team. He knows the importance of playing at the World Cup. He was at the 2002 Korea/Japan World Cup where he made his debut, South Africa 2010 World Cup and Brazil 2014 World Cup. After all, the doctrine for goalkeepers is that they get better with age. Is this not true? Will anyone be shocked if Italy parades Buffon in goal at the Russia 2018 World Cup, given the goalkeeper’s superlative form with Juventus at the ongoing UEFA Champions League, where the Italians look like the team to confront Real Madrid in this year’s final at Cardiff?

    Unfortunately, the decision to invite Enyeama or not is the manager’s. He has the right to try other goalkeepers. But if Rohr courts Eneyama to return, NFF chiefs must support him to get the goalkeeper back. Nigerians won’t forgive the NFF if we fail to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Sadly, if this happens, the manager goes home, we gnash our teeth, and others enjoy their games in Russia next year. God forbid.

     Pinnick’s maturity

     Elections into the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) offices are over. The furore surrounding the elections, held in Addis Ababa, brought bad blood from supporters of the Isah Hayatou group and the new order that sacked him, spearheaded by Nigeria’s FA president Amaju Pinnick. Being a Nigerian, many expected those in CAF to root for Pinnick. But the old order rooting for Hayatou’s continued stay, despite serving for 29 years, tagged Pinnick a small boy, with many using uncouth words. While in Addis Ababa, the talk was about a wholesale replacement of Hayatou’s supporters who were Nigerians. But Pinnick shocked many when he said such vengeful acts won’t happen, insisting that the victory belongs to Nigeria.

    All those who didn’t give Pinnick a chance to win a place in CAF are in Cairo for a two-day workshop on club licensing. They have swallowed their pride. This is good. But I hope they have learned a few lessons about humility, and the need to see such an expedition from the prism of Nigeria, not what they stand to gain. Pinnick surely has a good heart by retaining these people. Now they know that it wasn’t about Pinnick, but Nigeria, which they represented in Cairo. Thank you, Pinnick.

    Sometimes, I wonder where Pinnick would have been had Ahmad Ahmad lost the election to Hayatou. Phantom charges would have been brought against him. The media would have been called names. Now, we know despots cannot rule forever, no matter how their supporters feel. The only constant thing in life is change.

  • Africa Top Ten Highest Paid in France:Enyeama is fifth highest

    Africa Top Ten Highest Paid in France:Enyeama is fifth highest

    Former Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama is the fifth highest paid African in the French Ligue 1.
    French sports daily L’Equipe has published a list of the salaries of all the footballers in Ligue 1 and Enyeama, who takes home 1.8 million euros per year (approximately N905 million), is one of the best paid goalkeepers.
    The Lille netminder earns €150,000 every month, slightly less than AS Monaco’s Croatia international Danijel Subašic, who receives €160,000.
    With a monthly salary of €300,000 gross, Cameroon defender Nicolas Nkoulou, who turns out for Lyon, is the best paid African player, followed by Belhanda (Nice), Dirar (Monaco) and Clinton Njie (Marseille).
    Paris Saint-Germain captain Thiago Silva is the best paid player in Ligue 1, the central defender pockets 1.1 million euros every month.

  • Enyeama, Lille seek away remedy

    Enyeama, Lille seek away remedy

    Former Super Eagles number one goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama and his Lille teammates will be hoping to improve their away record this season as they take on Angers SCO at the Stade Jean Bouin today. The Frédéric Antonetti tutored side have managed to pull a draw in one of their five away matches losing four and conceding nine goals,  scoring four. Lille are heading into the  match fresh from a lone goal defeat by PSG at home with Uruguay international Edinson Cavani playing the spoiler for Enyeama no thanks to his 65th minute goal. Prior to the home loss against PSG, the team had handed visiting Bastia a 2-1 defeat in front of 25,932 spectators.

    Homers Angers SCO have only lost one out of their last five home ties winning two and drawing two. The team played out a goalless draw against Toulouse last weekend and will come smoking in an attempt to avoid home defeat.

    Lille currently occupy the 17th position on the Ligue 1 log with 10 points in 11 matches while opponents Angers SCO sit six places above with 14 points in 11 matches.

  • Enyeama: To return or not?

    SIR: There have been the debates and arguments for and against whether Vincent Enyeama, the erstwhile goalie and skipper of the senior national football team should return to the team. If we may recall, Enyeama left the Eagles’ team due to irreconcilable differences between himself and the immediate past coach of the team, Sunday Oliseh.

    The debate became even more forceful recently, following the news that the new coach of the team, the German Gernot Rohr has completed plan to lure the goal keeper back into the team.

    Bringing back the former goal tender in my view will be counter-productive for many reasons. In the first place, begging him to return is like passing a vote of no confidence on the crop of keepers currently in the national team, which in my view is not good enough. If we are unable to persuade him to come back, this will adversely affect the confidence and consequently the performance of the men between the sticks we currently use. Moreover, if he does agree to return, he will owe nobody any apology if he does not perform to our expectations. After all, we begged him to return, he did not ask for it.

    If I may ask, do those clamouring for his return know how the goalkeeper has been performing lately for his French club, Lille?  From his current form, the Enyeama of 2016 is no longer the Enyeama we used to know in terms of performance. Let me make myself clear. A footballer, and indeed, a team is as good as his or its last match. After seven weeks in League 1 in France, Enyeama’s team, Lille is bottom of the 20-team league with only four points. He has conceded 14 goals, an average of two goals per match this new season. In his last match for Lille on Sunday, September 25, he conceded three goals at St Ettienne, where Lille lost 1-3. So on what basis are we courting him to come back? Definitely not on the basis of current performance!

    My advice is that we should not create bad blood and unnecessary panic among our players, especially when we have a crucial game against Zambia in about a fortnight. Let us leave Enyeama to rescue his team from relegation waters it has plunged itself and stop diverting his attention.

     

    • Oluwole Akinjayeju

    Yaba-Lagos