The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Vincent Enyeama

  • Eagles Return: The ball is in your court, Agu tells Enyeama

     

    As the unending debate over whether or not former Super Eagles  ace Vincent Enyeama should return, Goalkeeper trainer Aloy Agu has told the out of contract safe hand that the ball is squarely in his court.

    A lot of water according to him has passed under the bridge since the 37 year old quit the Eagles with a lot of competition in all departments especially in goalkeeping.

    Enyeama he further recalled made the decision to quit, to have more time for his family and returning will depend on his current form on one hand and his ability to compete on the other.

    “He made a decision that he needed a break, wanting to relax with his family, and if he decides to come back, it is a good one; after all, it is no crime playing for one’s fatherland. But, there is the need to look at performance, because football is all about performance, and that is what Enyeama must show.

    Super Eagles goalkeeper trainer Aloy Agu

    “The questions we should be asking are how his performance is? Is he back in club football? If you look at the team now, we are having competition in the goalkeeping department and Enyeama must prove he has that x-factor which is performance to come to the negotiation table”, “he told Sports Extra.

    Enyeama who was capped 101 times has been out of action for close to two years and his attempt to return to club action after leaving Lille, hit the rocks as he failed to seal a contract after trials with French Ligue 1 side Dijon.

    The former Lille safe hand, who began his soccer career with Ibom Stars made 506 appearances for the seven clubs he played for both home and abroad including Enyimba where he clinched the CAF Champions league back to back.

    Some soccer fans have however advised him to stay away from the current Eagles as that is the only way the younger ones can rise to the occasion and take the bull by the horns.

     

  • Enyeama, Ligue 1 side LOSC end 7-year romance

    Former Super Eagles number one goalie Vincent Enyeama has ended his seven year romance with French Ligue 1 side LOSC Lille, the club confirmed on Friday.

    The parting according to the club was on mutual consent in a no victor no vanquished agreement.

    In a brief statement on the club’s website, Les Dogues confirmed that the 36-year-old’s contract had been terminated by mutual consent.

    “Beyond his performances, LOSC and its supporters will remember Vincent’s smile and his enthusiasm,” the statement read.

    “The club wishes him the best from now on in his future projects.”

    The Nigeria international joined the club from Hapoel Tel Aviv in 2011, but hasn’t featured for the Northern side since April 2017.

    He was deemed surplus to requirements by previous coach Marcelo Bielsa, and was overlooked by his successor Christophe Galtier.

    The stopper played 164 games for Lille, and came close to breaking Gaetan Huard’s record for consecutive Ligue 1 minutes without conceding in the 2013-14 season.

    The former Bnei Yehuda ace , who won the Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria in 2013, was part of the side that were

    defeated by Paris Saint-Germain in the 2016 League Cup final.

    Enyeama in what could pass as confirmation of friction-less departure, shared a message of thanks to the LOSC Lille

    Supporters

    “The adventure has ended,” Enyeama began, writing on his @Vinpee Twitter handle. “I thank the Lille supporters for their incredible support during these seven years, which were, for me, years of happiness and joy.

    “Thank you, a thousand times, thank you, for this love that you’ve given me.”

    Enyeama arrived at Lille from Hapoel Tel Aviv in 2011, and would go onto make 164 appearances for the club. The highlight perhaps came in the 2013-14 season, when he went within 114 minutes of equaling Gaetan Huard’s record for consecutive Ligue 1 minutes without conceding.

    “You will always have a special place in my heart,” Enyeama added. “Your songs and your cheers will stay engraved forever. Love you guys!

    “Thank you also to all of the staff of LOSC, the medical staff, with a particular mention to all of the reserve team in N2 [The French Championnat National 2], and their medical staff.” submitted Enyeama who has been to three world cups 2002, 2010 and 2014 with the Super Eagles but exited the national team under controversial circumstances under former Super Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Enyeama: From hero to World Cup outcast

    What has happened to Vincent Enyeama? Where is he and why he may be out of Nigeria’s World Cup list. CHIJIOKE EZEALI in this piece tries to fix the puzzle

    Nigeria was the first African Nation to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and seemingly achieved the proud feat with the youngest team in the world during the qualification process .

    The three-time African Champions under the tutelage of Gernot Rohr are playing with a renewed vigour, confidence and swagger good enough to raise the hopes of their teaming supporters who now expect the team to become the first African side to reach the semi-final of the Mundial.

    The friendly wins over two-time World Cup champions Argentina and Poland who had the presence of one of the best forwards in the world Robert Lewandowski, has further heightened expectations despite defeat against Serbia.

    However, the biggest worry for some section of the fans in Nigeria is the lack of a top notch goalkeeper for the national team as the likes of Ikechukwu Ezenwa, Daniel Akpeyi and Francis Uzoho have failed to cease the opportunity created with the absence of Carl Ikeme who is still in recovery following his battle with leukaemia.

    The Super Eagles 35-man list provisional list for the Mundial will be announced on May 14 and the name of veteran Lille goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama is almost certain not to be included judging by the words of the national team gaffer.

    “He (Enyeama) is not playing anywhere, so we cannot take players who are not playing,” Rohr told reporters at the Aiteo/Nigeria Football Federation Awards in February.

    “We are working hard to have the best of our legs taken to Russia and we don’t have the luxury of naming a player that has not been playing in recent time.

    “Each time we have a problem, there is always a good answer and I hope it will be the same for the World Cup. We currently have so many players in camp and we want to continue monitoring them. The most important thing is for them to be in best shape for the Mundial.”

    The 35-year-old is arguable Nigeria’s finest goalkeeper in history following successful careers for both club and country but despite calls from some quarters that he be re-invited into the Super Eagles squad, the former Enyimba goalie is yet to officially come out of retirement since 2015.

    Enyeama’s situation is not an easy one as he suffered a knee injury while playing for Lille on April 15, 2017 and only just came back to action for the B side following some intense rehabilitation.

    The Nigerian hasn’t been a part of Lille’s first squad since his return and may not until his contract runs out at the end of this season as the club’s current manager, Christophe Galtier recently revealed to France Football.

    “It’s a problem between Enyeama and the club, that’s the bottom line,” Galtier said. “It’s a problem between the club management and Enyeama.”

    Although the manager wasn’t explicit on what exactly transpired between Enyeama and the Lille management, it is very evident that he is out of the side not for pure football reasons and without him the former French champions have the fourth worst defensive record in Ligue1, having conceded 59 in 35 matches.

    Lille are currently languishing second from bottom with a very slim chance of surviving relegation. But why the cruelty on the highest capped goalkeeper in Nigeria’s history with 101 caps?

    ‘The real reason Enyeama is being banished from the first team is because the club is embarking on a new project which will see them groom and sell players,’ a source close to the player revealed to The Nation .

    ‘Let’s face it, Vinny doesn’t have a resale value because he is 35 now. The club wants a younger squad and players over 30 are mostly affected by this new project.

    ‘Enyeama is just waiting for the end of the season to find a new club but I can reliably inform you that he doesn’t want to leave France. It was a pity he suffered a long time injury, he could’ve moved before now.’

    Looking through the Lille squad, Mike Maignan 31, originally of Guyana before adopting France has been the club’s number one this season and kept for 31matches in Ligue 1.

    Kouakou Herve Koffi 21, from Burkina Faso, has made four appearances for Lille this season while 21-year-old Slovakian Adam Jakubech has been on the bench four times this season and all look like lost ships without the Nigerian to guide their progress at the club.

    When Enyeama signed for Hapoel Tel Aviv in 2007/08. They endured a poor season but he helped the team avoid relegation and reach the state cup final.

    During the 2008/09 season, Enyeama became Hapoel’s penalty kicker, won the “Player of The Year” award, and just missed leading Hapoel to the league title.

    On 8 December 2013, Enyeama conceded a goal for the first time after playing 1,062 minutes of Ligue 1 football in an away match against Bordeaux, during which he was beaten by Landry N’Guémo’s deflected strike in the 27th minute. He thus came within 114 minutes of equalling Gaëtan Huard’s Ligue 1 goalkeeping record, set in 1993, of playing 1,176 minutes without conceding a goal.

    On that form, he powered the Super Eagles to African Nations Cup glory in 2013 for the first time in 19years, playing a leading role with a lot of unforgettable moments created for fans.

    He was named among the top 10 goalkeepers in Europe for the 2015/16 season by the Swiss-based CIES Football Observatory and in the following season the Professional Union of French Players (UNFP) nominated him for the best goalkeeper award in the French Ligue 1 after brilliantly keeping 14 clean sheets in 21 matches.

    Interesting how Lille will risk relegation just to freeze experienced campaigners like Enyeama out of the club when 40-year-old Gianluigi “Gigi” Buffon is actively playing for Juventus and still nursing the ambition of winning the UEFA Champions League after recent elimination in the hands of Real Madrid in the quarter-final of this season’s competition.

    Enyeama may well play into his 40’s because of the longevity of goalkeepers as long as he watches after himself, takes the right diet and engage in the right training programs.

    At 35, Enyeama is still Nigeria’s best and it will make sense if Super Eagles manager Gernot Rohr tests him in the remaining friendlies before announcing his final squad for the World Cup. Some are against him returning to the team and argued that he will disrupt the harmony of the younger generation of players in camp.

    Some pundits even suggested that he may want the captaincy of the team but the player himself may not be bothered with that like a lot of people think.

    ‘Captaincy is not a problem for me because it’s not my birth right,’ Enyeama told Channels Television Sports Tonight program after he was stripped of the band under former Eagles Coach Sunday Oliseh.

    Enyeama gave the Super Eagles 13 quality years of service but the episode that led to his exit wasn’t the smoothest and he could be a very good mentor for the new goalkeepers in the current squad.

    Mikel Obi went to the African Nations Cup in 2006 despite not playing much football due to the Chelsea and Manchester United transfer sage at the time but showed why he is highly rated with a goal in Nigeria’s second game against Zimbabwe after creating the first goal for Christian Obodo. All that the former Chelsea star needed was a chance and must be grateful to Coach Augustine Eguavoen for not dropping him for the more active players.

    Age is just a number especially for a world class goalkeeper like Enyeama. Egyptian Essam El-Hadary at 45 could’ve been the oldest goalkeeper at the Mundial ever if injury had not ruled him out.

    But in football, there’s always a place for loyalty just like German national team boss Joachim Löw has shown towards Manuel Neuer who he has repeatedly named as his first choice for the 2018 World Cup despite the Bayern Munich star not playing a single minute this season so far due to injury.

    But just like Enyeama, 32-year-old Neuer returned to training in April but with the assurance that he will be between the sticks in Russia when hostilities resume for the biggest soccer fiesta.

    “When Manuel came to us on Tuesday, together with Andy Kopke [coach] and Dr [Hans-Wilhelm] Muller-Wohlfahrt [we] had a long conversation with him. Manuel is absolutely on schedule. It is planned that he will still play at Bayern this season,” he said on March 22, 2018.

    “The doctor has assured me that the condition of his scar and the growing together of the bones are absolutely fine and look very good.

    “However, at the current stage he is not allowed to [train] at maximum, he is currently training at 90 per cent and wants to increase to 100 per cent this week so that he is fully resilient.

    “Then he can still get the necessary security in the training sessions. I assume and am very optimistic that Manuel will be present at the World Cup.”

    Goalkeepers get better with age just like fine wine. At the FIFA World Cup in 2014, Faryd Mondragón became the oldest player to appear at the Mundial when he helped Colombia 4-1 win over Japan. He was aged 43 years and 3 days old.

    Joseph-Antoine Bell was 40, when he represented Cameroon at the USA 94′ World Cup and Thomas N’Kono was 38-year-old and Jacques Songo’o was the youngest was 30.

    Enyeama still remains a fantastic choice for the Super Eagles and will be a quality addition to the team if Gernot Rohr needs him because the current goalkeepers available to him are not in peak form if we are to be very sincere.

    The German tactician has done well since took charge of the three-time African Champions and if he feels he doesn’t need Enyeama’s experience and presence – that must be respected but as a fan that wants the best for his country. I see the Lille shot stopper as a very good addition for the senior national team.

  • Disu says goalkeeper’s experience valuable to Super Eagles

    Disu says goalkeeper’s experience valuable to Super Eagles

    Former Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation ( NFF ), Tunde Disu, on Monday in Lagos supported the recall of former Super Eagles captain, Vincent Enyeama by Coach Genort Rohr.

    Disu expressed his support in an interview after reviewing the Eagles gaffer Rohr’s stance on the team’s goalkeeping situation.

    The Eagles Franco-German tactician in an interview had said that Nigeria still needs a world class goalkeeper, casting shadows on the prospect of available goalkeepers in the team.

    The team has yet to have a regular shot stopper since the former number one goalkeeper Carl Ikeme of Wolverhampton Wanderers was diagnosed of acute Leukaemia.

    In his stead, Rohr called upon the South Africa-based Daniel Akpeyi to action; only for the former to fail the test in the African Nations Cup qualifiers against Bafana Bafana in Uyo.

    Akpeyi conceded two goals in the first match; the first major loss recorded in Rohr’s era as technical adviser, thereby limiting his chance of returning between the sticks.

    During the crucial World Cup qualification against Cameroon, Rohr had to put his trust in Okechukwu Ezenwa which was successful as the local-based shot stopper helped with a clean sheet.

    The match against Cameroon ended 4-0, while the return leg in Yaoundé ended 1-1.

    On the contrary, many soccer pundits are of the opinion that Cameroon’s only goal was as a result of Ezenwa’s inexperience at handling strikers who might want a trick him.

    Ezenwa, however, kept another clean sheet against all-determined Chipolopolo of Zambia a game which ended in a frosty 1-0 earning Nigeria the automatic qualification to the 2018 Mundial in Russia.

    With Rohr’s eyes set on a good campaign in the World Cup, the gaffer is set to test the waters not only shopping for a more experienced goalkeeper.

    This to him is necessary in order to have a permanent replacement for the ailing Ikeme, who may not be fit to play during the World Cup.

    The Franco-German muted the idea of recalling the highly experienced Enyeama who already has two World Cup experiences under his belt with a caveat that the goalkeeper’s recall will be by his terms.

    With many diverse opinions on the Enyeama’s recall, Disu, who had previously coached Enyeama during the age grade tournament in 1999, said the experience of the shot stopper was valuable.

    “I know Enyeama very well; he started with me in the U-20 championships in 1999, but did not make the team in Ivory Coast due to some circumstances above him.

    “He is a professional goalkeeper, he is stable, and one of the oldest goalkeepers in the country now. One thing about goalkeepers is that the older they are, the better they become.

    “Enyeama is a disciplined goalkeeper who does not tolerate nonsense, if we are to look at his sacrifice for the country, how he has saved us, then, he merited the recall.

    “He does not have the physique of Peter Rufai, but he is technically gifted and knows how to organise his defence line, he commands respect,’’ Disu said.

    Disu, a former defunct Green Eagles Assistant Coach, said that the only snag about Enyeama is that he might be temperamental at times which could be tolerated by the team.

    “The only negative I know about Enyeama is that he is sometimes too temperamental, he doesn’t like people taking him for granted, and he might be erratic in such condition.

    “I really don’t want to dabble into his situation with Sunday Oliseh because they are both my boys; if Enyeama is recalled, we will see that he is a thorough bred professional.

    “The only thing which might be a problem is how he will be able to cope in the team not being the captain. On the field, the most experienced players take the captains armband.

    “Assuming Mikel the current captain leaves the field and passes it to Onazi, who also leaves the field who takes it? They are all junior to Enyeama, this issue of captainship must be settled,’’ he said.

    Disu said that aside the hierarchical order of seniority in Eagles which might be altered if Enyeama was recalled; the goalkeepers experience could be valuable to Eagles campaign in the Mundial.

    “Aside the leadership position which might be altered, if Enyeama is recalled, he will prove a good asset to the team as the young goalkeepers still need to learn from his techniques.

    “Enyeama is such a good goalkeeper anyone will like to have in his team because he serves the ball well, he controls the ball and you can always hear his voice during the build-up.

    “World Cup is a game for world star players and class, and we cannot afford to experiment by taking rookies to the centre stage, especially in the goalkeeping department.

    “Although Enyeama is just returning from an injury but if he is fit enough, he can go to the World Cup, I can bet on his experience,’’ he said.

    NAN

  • Enyeama ready for Eagles return – Rohr

    Enyeama ready for Eagles return – Rohr

    Former Super Eagles captain, Vincent Enyeama, is ready to return to the national team, Coach Gernot Rohr said on Wednesday.

    Rohr stated this at a pre-match news conference ahead of Friday’s 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier between Nigeria’s Super Eagles and the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon.

    The match will be played at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, Akwa Ibom.

    Rohr said he had spoken with Enyeama and the goalkeeper was ready to come back to the Super Eagles.

    “The past is the past but now he is injured. He has to win the fight against injury,” Rohr said.

    Enyeama quit the national team in 2015 following a disagreement with the former national team coach, Sunday Oliseh.

    Rohr said he has a good team to face the Cameroonians but his challenge was with the goalkeeper’s position.

    The Franco-German coach said Ikechukwu Ezenwa would be in goal on Friday due to injury sustained by two other goalkeepers in the team.

    He added: “The list of players makes the difference, not so young, more of experienced players. We already have six points. All the players are in high spirit.

    “We know that we have a good team, we are ready to make the difference. We have all the confidence to beat the Indomitable Lions here in Uyo.”

    NAN

     

  • Nostalgic Vincent Enyeama shares album photo

    Nostalgic Vincent Enyeama shares album photo

    One of the best ways of fighting temporary draw backs is to make a flash back at good old times savor the goodies that come with it and by so doing lighten up the mood of the present.

    That appears to be what former Super Eagles number one goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama is doing as recently he shared his photo with some former internationals and coaches of the national team.

    Lined up in the impressive photograph includes former Super Eagles coach Austin Eguavoen, former Eagles captains Austin Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu, Mutiu Adepoju, Ike Shorunmu and Uche Okechukwu.

    Enyeama who was recently relegated to Lille reserve team by Argentine coach Marcelo Bielsa who has left no one in doubt he wants to work with new players, is hoping to get a deal to continue his impressive  career.  The 34 year old who is on the  radar of Nice and Nantes has become again subject of debate over his possible return to the national team following recent diagnosis of current number one carl Ikeme with acute leukemia. Some soccer fans have however maintained that Enyeama who announced his retirement from the national team after winning his 100th cap should be allowed to enjoy his retirement and continue his club career while other goalkeepers are given opportunity to prove themselves. Those fronting for the return of the former Enyimba and Iwuanyanwu Nationale ace revealed that that their call has been fueled by fear of losing ground to hard fighting Indomitable Lions of Cameroon and  Bafana Bafana of South Africa in the course of fighting for ticket to the 2018 World cup in Russia and 2019 Nations Cup in Cameroon.

    Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr who suffered a shock 0-2 defeat in Uyo, recently threatened to dump the Eagles following a barrage of blames being heaped on his table, insisting that the only way he can continue with the job is for intruders to stay of his team lists adding that he is “ready to take responsibilities” for his actions enroute Russia 2018.

  • Club chairman advises NFF, Super Eagles’ technical crew to recall Enyeama

    Club chairman advises NFF, Super Eagles’ technical crew to recall Enyeama

    Emmanuel Zira, Chairman of Adamawa United Football Club of Yola, on Monday advised the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Super Eagles technical crew to bring Vincent Enyeama back from retirement.

    Zira gave the advice in Abuja while reacting to the Eagles’ 0-2 loss to Bafana Bafana of South Africa on Saturday in the 2019 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.

    The News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) reports that the 34-year-old Enyeama is the team’s former captain and former first-choice goalkeeper, and plays for French Ligue 1 clubside Lille OSC.

    Zira said Enyeama’s experience as both a goalkeeper and team captain was most needed in the team at this point, especially ahead of playing against Cameroon in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers.

    “I am not saying that Daniel Akpeyi, our first-choice goalkeeper in that match, is not good. But I believe that Enyeama would not have conceded those goals he (Akpeyi) did.

    “Enyeama gives the team leadership and quality, and that is what he does in his club Lille in France, keeping clean sheets.

    “Goalkeepers are not usually restrained by age, just as in the case of Gianluigi Buffon of Juventus.

    “Akpeyi is good, but we need a mixture of experience and youthfulness. So, I wish the NFF and the technical crew can call Enyeama back,’’ he said.

  • Enyeama makes Ligue one team of the week

    Enyeama makes Ligue one team of the week

    Former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama, has been listed in the Ligue 1 Team of the Week in France, following a fantastic showing at the weekend against Olympique Marseille.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Lille OSC had struggled on home soil this season, failing to win any of their last five matches.

    While Europa League-chasing Marseille had won three of their previous four matches with Dimitri Payet pulling the strings from midfield.

    However, Enyeama, who was making his 140th appearance for Lille, was in spectacular form, as he thwarted every effort toward his goal, picking a rating of 7.9/10, according to whoscored.com.

     

  • Enyeama hails PSG after Barca humiliation

    Enyeama hails PSG after Barca humiliation

    Nigerian star Vincent Enyeama has hailed Paris Saint German (PSG) as one of the best teams in the world following their 4-0 demolition of Spanish giants FC Barcelona during the first leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16-match played in France on Tuesday night.

    Former Manchester United winger Angel di Maria scored twice while goals from Julian Draxler and birthday man Edinson Cavani completed the rout.

    Enyeama played against PSG last week in the Ligue 1 and lost 2-1 with Lille, so he understands the might of the current French Champions.

    Enyeama tweeted after the game, he wrote: “PSG is one of the best teams in the world. Just believe me when I say this. They are very very good.”

    Barcelona have a huge mountain to climb in the return leg and stand the risk of early elimination as no team has ever recovered at this stage of the competition after a four goals deficit.

  • I’m proud of winning AFCON record – Enyeama

    I’m proud of winning AFCON record – Enyeama

    Former Nigeria international goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama has said he is immensely proud of his record at the AFCON, where he has won a medal in all editions he played.

    Enyeama won AFCON bronze medal thrice, in 2004, 2006 and 2010, before he led Nigeria to win gold in 2013.

    The ex-Super Eagles captain also admitted that playing at the AFCON is difficult and different ball game.

    “Thanking God. So lucky to have gotten a medal in each of the AFCON tournament that I played in. AFCON no easy,” the highly-rated Lille goalkeeper tweeted.

    Nigeria have failed to qualify for the last two AFCONS, in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.