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Tag: Enyeama

  • INDEPENDENT DAY ANNIVERSARY: Enyeama goes spiritual

    INDEPENDENT DAY ANNIVERSARY: Enyeama goes spiritual

    • Onazi,Ideye,Osaze,others celebrate Nigeria @ 54

    Super Eagles’ players were not left out of Nigeria’s independent day celebrations as they joined millions of its citizens to celebrate the country at 54.

    Led by team captain,Vincent Enyeama, national team players including Ogenyi Onazi, Peter Osaze Odemwingie, Kenneth Omeruo, Elderson Echiejile, Sone Aluko, Brown Ideye and John Ogu all took to the social media to celebrate the independent anniversary with  their fans.

    Lille of France shot stopper, Enyeama showed his patriotism and hope for a better Nigeria by posting a touching prayer for the country on his instagram on the independence day.

    He wrote:”Happy independence day to all Nigerian worldwide. May God make the heavens above Nigeria to pour down dew of blessings and the earth beneath Nigeria begin to yield to its full capacity (increase).

    ”Bless our leaders with wisdom to manage the resources and make wise  decisions.

    ”Send prosperity on businesses, healing to the hurting souls, revival on the land. lets join our hands, our voices and all the energy that we have to make this new year count for good.”

    Onazi followed suit by assuring Nigerians that the team will qualify for the 2015 AFCON tournament.

    “Happy independence to my very dear country #Nigeria and the lovely people who carry the #Green passport. God bless #Nigeria.

    “I also implore us all to be even more patriotic in the face of these challenges. #Nigeria will qualify for #AFCON2015 with your support,” the Lazio midfielder posted on his twitter page, @OnaziOgenyi.

    Hull City striker, Sone Aluko said,”HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY to all my fellow  Nigerians. God bless you.#FreedomPeaceAndUnity”.

    “Happy Independence Day to my country NIGERIA”, Ideye said on his official twitter handle, @OfficialIdeye

    Recuperating  Stoke City striker, Peter Odemwingie also took time out with the short message @OdemwingieP,“Happy Independence Day my people.”

    Elderson Echiejile who plies his trade with AS Monaco of France posted on @EldersonEch, “Happy Independence to Nigeria and every Nigerian. Let’s strive to make our country better. #ProudNigerian #54″

    “Happy Independence Day Nigeria…..I love Nigeria”, said Middleborough defender, Kenneth Omeruo oh his twitter page, @omeruo22.

    John Ogu in his tweet said,“Happy Independence Day to My Lovely Country”.

    Super Eagles official twitter handle,@NGSuperEagles also joined the celebration thanking fans for their support.

    “Happy Independence Nigeria. We are using this opportunity to say thank you to all our Fans. #BounceBack #morocco2015.”

  • Enyeama, Moses return to Eagles squad

    Enyeama, Moses return to Eagles squad

    Stephen Keshi has named goalkeeper and skipper Vincent Enyeama and 23 others for next month’s 2015 Africa Cup of Nations must-win qualifying tango away and home to Sudan.

    Both teams clash in Khartoum on October 10 before trading tackles at the National Stadium, Abuja four days later.

    Keshi has also included a handful of new faces, including former junior international Raheem Lawal, China –based striker Aaron Samuel and relatively unknown Anyora Ugonna, who plays in Norway.

    There are also opportunities for World Cup star-boy Babatunde Michael, back from injury, Reading of England’s Hope Akpan and Austria –based forward Sunday Emmanuel.

    African champions Nigeria must win both matches against pointless Sudan next month to have any realistic chance of reaching the finals in Morocco early next year.

  • Enyeama: I don’t pick Eagles’ players

    Enyeama: I don’t pick Eagles’ players

    Super Eagles and Lille of France goalie, Vincent Enyeama has refrained from suggesting  the players to be invited for the AFCON 2015 double header qualifier next month.

    Enyeama, 32, missed the qualifiers against Congo (in Calabar) and South Africa (in Cape Town), both of which the Super Eagles could only manage one point from a possible six.

    “I wouldn’t want to delve into that issue as to who to invite and who not to invite. That is for the coach to  decide,” he told footballlive.ng.

    Enyeama posited also that he hopes the issue of contractual agreement between Stephen Keshi and the Nigerian federation is resolved quickly.

    “I hope the issue of who is going to be the coach of Nigeria is resolved as soon as possible so that we will know the way forward. The coach knows who to invite and officials of the NFF know who they are negotiating with.”

    Enyeama says he’s a firm believer in possibilities, and as a result, believes qualification is not out of Nigeria’s reach.

    “I have always believed in possibilities and I have absolute confidence that we can always achieve the best no matter what. There are still four games to play and I’m very confident we will make it to Morocco 2015, we just have to keep the focus,” he said.

    Nigeria are third in Group A, with Congo topping with a maximum points haul of six, South Africa are second with four points, while Sudan are bottom with no  points from the two games played so far.

  • Enyeama confident Eagles will qualify for AFCON

    Enyeama confident Eagles will qualify for AFCON

    Super Eagles’ first choice goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama has expressed confidence Nigeria will qualify for the Morocco 2015 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) despite a slow start to the qualifying campaign, which has seen them get only a solitary point from a possible six.

    Enyeama, who missed both games against Congo and South Africa due to ‘family reasons’, says he’s a firm believer in possibilities, and as a result, believes qualification is not out of Nigeria’s reach.

    “I have always believed in possibilities and I have absolute confidence that we can always achieve the best no matter what.

    “There are still four games to play and I’m very confident we will make it to Morocco 2015, we just have to keep the focus,” he said.

    Nigeria are third in Group A, with Congo topping with a maximum points haul of six, South Africa are second with four points, while Sudan are bottom with no points from the two games played so far.

    The Super Eagles will play back to back against Sudan, first in Omdurman and then possibly in Abuja, knowing that they must secure maximum points from those games if they are to stand a clear chance of qualifying for the tournament.

  • Enyeama roars: I’m happy at Lille

    Enyeama roars: I’m happy at Lille

    Nigeria international Vincent Enyeama has rejected talk that he will engineer a move away from Lille before the close of the transfer window.

    After Lille crashed out of the Champions League on Tuesday night, losing 3-0 on aggregate to Porto, a couple of their players are being linked with a move away from the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.

    However, the Super Eagles goalkeeper has pledged his loyalty to Les Dogues, stressing that the decision on whether or not he remains on the books of the club lies with the management.

    “If the club decides to sell me, that is their choice. Personally, I am not particularly looking to leave the club. I’m happy where I am. I like Lille, the club, the city,” Enyeama told beIN Sports.

    “But if the club woke up and said, ‘Vincent, you have to go’, I would thank them for what they have done and I will. Leaving Lille? I can’t rule it out.”

    The 32-year-old joined Lille in the summer of 2011 from Hapoel Tel Aviv, and has since recorded 41 appearances in Ligue 1.

    His contract with the three-time champions of France will run out on June 30, 2017.

  • Enyeama, Ajagun taste Champions League action

    Enyeama, Ajagun taste Champions League action

    Vincent Enyeama was in action for Lille OSC while Abduljeleel Ajagun got the nod to start for Greek club, Panathinaikos.

    It was a good night for Enyeama as he played for 90 minutes in the 1-1 draw against Swiss club, Grasshopper, at Stade Pierre-Mauroy.

    Lille progressed 3-1 on aggregate to the playoffs having won the first leg 2-0.

    Enyeama was outstanding, producing four saves to keep the visitors at bay and attracting praise from his teammate, Sébastien Corchia.

    “We knew the game would be hard because Grasshopper is a good team. We were a bit relaxed when we conceded that goal but the great reflexes of Vincent (Enyeama) gave us a lot of confidence,” he told the club’s official website, losc.fr.

    The story was different for Ajagun who started for Panathinaikos against the Belgian club, Standard Liege.

    It turned out to be a night to forget for Ajagun as the Belgians won 2-1 at the Stadio Apóstolos Nikolaidis, Athens.

    Ajagun played for 85 minutes in the first leg.

  • BATTLE OF PANTANAL CUIABA Enyeama bothers Bosnia coach

    BATTLE OF PANTANAL CUIABA Enyeama bothers Bosnia coach

    If there is one person that is giving Bosnia’s coach migraine ahead for their clash against the Super Eagles on Saturday at the Arena Pantanal Cuiaba, it is  goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama.  Enyeama according to Safet Susic is not only an asset to the team but a safe hand whose ability should not be underrated by opponents.

    The coach who no doubt paid close attention to Nigeria’s unimpressive draw against Iran on Monday, did not express surprise that the Nigeria’s number one remains a force to be reckoned with noting that he was equally on fire in the French league before hitting Brazil for the World Cup.

    Aside from the Enyeama factor the Bosnia coach is equally tinkering with the idea of coming out with the best format to checkmate Nigeria after confessing that he could not really give an opinion about Nigeria’s match against Iran because it was a bit difficult to understand the pattern of play.

    “Really, it’s very difficult to find some opinion after the last match,” Susic said.

    “As for me I felt the Nigeria national team were playing with a (middle) three plus one… (up front) and it’s very, very hard to give opinion on the match.

    “Also you have to take into consideration that they have a very good goalkeeper (Vincent Enyeama), he is from France’s top league and he didn’t concede any in his last 11,” he said

    Susic is however not expecting an uncoordinated Super Eagles when both teams clash on Saturday, noting that there is tendency for every team to attempt to better the last performance, insisting that Nigeria can play better

    “Nigeria know how to play and they can play much better.”

    The format against Eagles he further added will depend on what happens in the course of training ahead of Saturday

    “I think I may change the squad but it depends on the situation. Our players will train in different formations and combination.

    “I (am) not going to announce the team before the coming match because I’m still thinking about howto play it and which formation to use.”

    Susic sprang a surprise against Argentina, choosing not to play two up front – as he usually does – and leaving Vedad Ibisevic on the bench.

    Izet Hajrovic, Zvjezdan Misimovic and Senad Lulic were preferred as a trio behind lead striker Edin Dzeko but Susic may be tempted to bring

    Ibisevic back into his starting XI versus Nigeria.

    Dzeko and Ibisevic combined for 18 goals in qualifying Bosnia-Herzegovina for the World Cup.

  • Enyeama expects tough games

    SUPER EAGLES and Lille golaie, Vincent Enyeama has revealed that he expects a tough UCL campaign for Lilee come next season.

    Lille booked their place in the qualifying rounds of the Champions League with a thumping 4-1 victory away to Lorient in their final match of the Ligue 1 season.

    Les Dogues needed a win to hold off the challenge of St Etienne, two points behind, and delivered in emphatic style despite falling behind to Jeremie Aliadiere’s 22nd-minute goal.

    Salomon Kalou hit back 10 minutes later, and in the second half Nolan Roux and Kalou both scored before a late Gregory Bourillon own goal confirmed Lille’s place in Europe’s top competition.

    Enyeama however believes they can make their mark in the competition.

  • World Cup: Enyeama tips Eagles for semi finals

    World Cup: Enyeama tips Eagles for semi finals

    Vincent Enyeama is confident the Super Eagles will go as far as the semi-finals at the FIFA World Cup which will commence in Brazil next month.

    The goalkeeper, who was voted the best African footballer in the French Ligue 1 this past season, stated that Nigeria will make history this time despite the fact that the continental champions had failed to progress beyond the first round in their last two outings.

    “I think we are going to make big progress,” KickOffNigeria.com quoted Enyeama as saying on FIFA’s official website.

    “We are focused on the World Cup, to make Africa the proudest continent. Ghana almost reached the semi-finals four years ago. We are going to achieve a better result and be the first African team to get to the semi-finals of the World Cup.”

    Nigeria had been paired in Group F alongside Argentina, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iran, and Enyeama is confident Nigeria will progress from the group.

    The 31-year-old, who will be making his third appearance at the World Cup, is also coming up against Argentina for the third time. He was on the bench for Nigeria during the 2002 Korea/Japan World Cup, and manned the posts against the South Americans four years ago in South Africa.

  • Coupe de France quarter-finals draw: Enyeama to face Rennes

    Coupe de France quarter-finals draw: Enyeama to face Rennes

    • Echiejile battles Lens

    Super Eagles shot-stopper, vincent Enyeama and his Lille mates will tackle Rennes in one of Coupe de France quarter-finals fixtures, while Echiejiele’s Monaco will face Ligue 2 side Lens.

    The midweek draw ensured that Lille’s trip to Rennes is the only Ligue 1 clash with En Avant de Guingamp travelling across France to the Stade Pierre de Coubertin to take on CFA outfit AS Cannes.

    CFA outfit AS Moulins’ game at home to Ligue 2 Angers SCO completes the draw, with the next round of the competition kicking off on Tuesday March 15, before May’s final at the Stade de France.

    The full draw:

    AS Cannes (CFA) – Guingamp (L1)

    Moulins AS (CFA) – Angers (L2)

    Monaco (L1) – Lens (L2)

    Rennes (L1) – Lille (L1)