Tag: Vincent Enyeama

NIGERIAN fans visiting Brazil for the Mundial will be amazed to see the Super Eagles posters.

SportingLife gathered Tuesday that American sports news wire source, ESPN commissioned a Brazilian artist and graphic designer Cristiano Siqueira to create a poster for each of the 32 countries competing in Brazil exclusively for their World Cup coverage. Siqueira’s delivery was a brilliant collection of artwork which will no doubt be a summer hit with football fans around the world.

On the Eagles poster, stand-in captain, Vincent Enyeama is seen in his usual leadership role each time he’s in-between the wood works charging his defence line of (Joseph Yobo), Godfrey Oboabona, Keneth Omerou, Efe Ambrose and Elderson Echiejile on.

Behind the Lille Metropole of France custodian are the Obi’s, John Mikel and Joel whom the Brazilian artist describe in the poster to play in the heart of the Coach Stephen Keshi team.

So another fantastic season for African players across Europe is almost at an end.  At the conclusion of the club and continental football calendar, and ahead of the World Cup, we present the African Team of the Season.

Vincent Enyeama

 

How can any of the continent’s stoppers compare to Vincent Enyeama? The Nigerian has had a terrific year at Lille and has established himself as one of the Europe’s finest goalkeepers. His 1062 consecutive minutes without conceding a goal in the top-flight didn’t quite break Gaetan Huard’s long-standing French record, but it was evidence of a keeper playing at the absolute pinnacle of his game. He was consistently excellent this season – admittedly playing behind a solid defensive unit – and helped Les Dogues back into the Champions League.

 

Faouzi Ghoulam

 

The defender made a mid-season switch from Saint-Etienne to SS Napoli and has coped remarkably well with the transition from French to attacking football. He has delivered a string of fine performances for his new club and has established himself as one of Africa’s finest young defenders. He made his Algeria debut in March 2013, having missed out on playing time at the 2013 Cup of Nations, and looks set to be a feature in the Desert Foxes side for a decade to come. He could be an unexpected star of this summer’s World Cup.

 

Mehdi Benatia

 

Mehdi the Magnificent, Mehdi the Monster, Mehdi the Merciless … call him what you will, it’s hard to do complete justice to the Moroccan’s superb form with AS Roma this season. The North African has been an absolute rock for the capital club and the talents that have, for so long, gone unappreciated, were finally celebrated by a broader public. It’s no wonder that Manchester City are seeking to recruit the former Udinese man for a reported £40million this summer. Either way, Benatia is destined for the Champions League next term – it is where he belongs.

 

Serge Aurier

 

In whichever context you consider it, Aurier has been a revelation this season. He’s long been a promising prospect, but this season we have seen his reputation transformed. Many young defenders are criticised for having gallons of attacking menace but limited defensive abilities, others are solid and powerful, but lack the verve to threaten in the offensive stages. Aurier has the lot and it is no wonder that a club of Arsenal’s stature have been chasing his signature for much of the campaign. He is destined for great things.

 

Kwadwo Asamoah

 

Juventus’ poor European form was an unfortunate caveat to Asamoah’s season, but his second consecutive Scudetto earns ‘Kojo’ a place in my African selection for this season. The midfielder has consistently demonstrated his power, energy and footballing intelligence, even though his versatility have almost reduced him totally to a left-wingback role for the Old Lady. His stunning goal against rivals Fiorentina reminded the world of his sublime creative and offensive qualities as well. It may be that returning superstars such as Michael Essien, Prince and Andre Ayew push Asamoah out to a similar position this summer, but even from the flank, the Black Star has shown how he can influence contests.

 

Yaya Toure

 

Africa’s outstanding individual in terms of both form and ability, Toure would make a world team of the year, let alone a purely African selection. He scored a magnificent 20 goals in 25 games for Manchester City and managed to achieve a tangible result for his endeavour – City’s second Premier League title in three seasons. His agent’s unhappy outburst at the season’s conclusion may have cast a shadow over Toure’s miraculous form, but if the powerhouse midfielder can inspire the Cote d’Ivoire to the knockout rounds this summer, a terrific year will be complete.

 

Gervinho

 

Let’s be honest, Gervinho was a joke this time last season. He’s the guy who lost his nerve and looked like a terrified boy when the Cote d’Ivoire blew the 2012 Cup of Nations. Here was the guy who faded at Arsenal and seemingly became flimsier and more anonymous by the game in the Premier League. Few could throw criticisms such as these at him anymore. A switch to AS Roma and a reunion with former boss Rudi Garcia has given the Ivorian a new lease of life. Nine goals and ten assists this season tell their own story.

 

Salomon Kalou

 

I always felt that Kalou never got the credit he deserved in the Premier League, where he proved himself to be a versatile player often capable of delivering a late goal or opening a tight contest with speed and movement in the dying stages of a fixture. At Lille, where he has been a bigger fish in a slightly smaller pond, Kalou has thrived under the added responsibility. He has found the net 16 times in Ligue 1 this season, winning the Man of the Match award on nine occasions, and has guided his club back to the Champions League. Arsenal, Liverpool and Spurs have all been linked with a move to bring the Ivorian back to England.

 

Wilfried Bony

 

Admittedly, his start to life at Swansea City was a little slow, although injuries and the club’s own internal struggles naturally affected his ability to adapt to a new beginning in Wales. Since 2014, however, things have really kicked off for Bony and the forward has come into his own amidst the hurly burly of the Premier League. The goals have come against Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Cardiff City, and the Ivorian’s performances have attracted the interest of some of the EPL’s bigger boys.

 

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

 

Like Ghoulam, Aubameyang has left Saint Etienne, moved to bigger things, and adapted well to life on a higher stage. The plan may well have been for Aubameyang to have replaced Robert Lewandowski earlier in the season, but in fact, the two have worked together to great effect. The Gabonese forward has scored 13 goals in 21 starts this season and has also tasted life in the Champions League. With Lewandowski set to depart this summer, Aubameyang will get his chance to lead the line for the Bavarians. He is well on his way to becoming Africa’s number one forward.

 

Seydou Doumbia

 

Doumbia’s dire international goal-scoring record for Cote d’Ivoire (two goals in 20 appearances) occasionally prevents him from getting the credit and the recognition he deserves. He is a fine forward, however, and will provide excellent competition for Bony and Lacina Traore in the post-Drogba era. Doumbia scored 50 goals in 64 league games for Young Boys in the Swiss top flight and has bagged another 18 for CSKA Moscow in the Russian Premier League this campaign. Averaging a goal a game is no mean feat, and it would be fantastic to see the striker either a) come good for the Elephants in Brazil this summer and/or b) receive the opportunity to grace one of Europe’s major five leagues next season.

 

Honourable mentions go to:

 

Majeed Waris (Ghana/Spartak Moscow, on loan at Valenciennes), Boukary Drame (Senegal/Chievo), Ramon Azeez (Nigeria/Almeria), Emmanuel Emenike (Nigeria/Fenerbahce), Rudy Gestede (Benin/Blackburn Rovers), Curtis Davies (Sierra Leone/Hull City), Riyad Mahrez (Algeria/Leicester City), Asamoah Gyan (Ghana/Al Ain), Stephane Mbia (Cameroon/QPR, on loan at Sevilla), Vincent Aboubakar (Cameroon/Lorient), Joel Matip (Cameroon/Schalke), Ike Uche (Nigeria/Villarreal), Jeff Schlupp (Ghana/Leicester City), Efe Ambrose (Nigeria/Celtic).

SUPER EAGLES shot-stopper Vincent Enyeama was Lille’s saviour in Saturday’s barren draw against Nantes at their Stade Pierre-Mauroy (Villeneuve d’Ascq) home ground.

The Nigeria international, who was in action for 90 minutes, stopped the visitors from scoring in the 12th minute when Serge Gakpe latched onto Issa Cissokho’s pass and let fly, forcing Enyeama into a save.

Nantes came close again shortly before half time as Itay Shechter cut into the box went for goal from a tight angle, but he too was denied by Enyeama.

The away side remained dominant until the hour mark, but Lille began to apply some pressure of their own shortly after, with former Chelsea man Salomon Kalou heading narrowly over in the 64th minute.

Kalou came even closer in the 76th minute when he picked up Ryan Mendes’s headed pass and forced an impressive save out of Remy Riou in the Nantes goal.

Franck Beria could have won in for the hosts in the 90th minute, but Riou was on hand to keep out his right-footed drive and ensure that the match ended goalless.

SUPER EAGLES shot-stopper, Vincent Enyeama and his Lille mates will today battle Montpellier in a Ligue 1 fixture at their Stade Pierre-Mauroy homeground.

Enyeama’s Lille who lie third seven eight points behind Monaco will be looking to pounce on any slip up.

Speaking ahead of the encounter Lille boss Rene Girard stressed that his team are in a crucial month for their season.

At his press conference to preview the Montpellier match, Girard said: “I have always said that March is an important month.

“But it is always dangerous to project too far, and we are not thinking at the moment beyond Sunday’s game.

“For us to properly negotiate the meeting with Montpellier, we need to be vigilant and as strong as possible.

“They are a team that, after a difficult first half of the season, have been almost faultless since the start of January.”

Montpellier have been beaten only once in 2014 so far and not at all in the league.

Enyeama and his Lille pals suffered three defeats in their first four Ligue 1 games after the turn of the year, and with their challenge for the title now as good as finished, the key focus is to hang on to third spot.

However, Enyeama goalkeeping expoilts ensured LOSC returned to the position, leapfrogging St Etienne, with the victory over rock-bottom Ajaccio, in which Girard’s men went 1-0 down in the opening few seconds and scored two penalties.

Lille coach René Girard bemoaned a sub-par display from Super Eagles goal tender Vincent Enyeama and his team-mates during Sunday’s 2-1 home loss to Reims.

Two goals in the space of four second-half minutes gave Stade de Reims an unexpected 2-1 victory against the Nigerian shot stopper to extend the Champagne club’s unbeaten Ligue 1 run before an own goal by Webber gave the home side their only consolation on the night.

A disappointed Girard who felt his side lacked sharpness in front of gaol, in an interview after the encounter described his team’s performance as bizarre.

“It was a bizarre match. We didn’t play well, that is for sure. We were unlucky at the first goal but, beyond that, we need to do better to be able to win a match. Too many lads were below their best.

“Reims did not play brilliantly and did not come to play but they managed to stymie us, even if it didn’t take much to do that. We couldn’t have hoped for better than what we got. I am quite disappointed, but not worried.

“We just need to get back on track, and if some didn’t show the right desire tonight, others will. A lot of players were below their best. That didn’t please me much. In the end, it was an average match from both sides. I don’t know if our winter training camp affected us, because it was more in our heads that we didn’t play well rather than our legs.

“We found things harder psychologically rather than physically. Rather than being at 30 percent of our capabilities, had we been at 60 percent we might have won.”

The defeat leaves Enyeama and his team-mates in third spot with 40 points after 20 league fixtures, trailing leaders PSG by seven points while Monaco sit second with 42 points from the same number of games.