Vincent Enyeama: The centurion

BY AMOS ETUK

Vincent Enyeama is the new entrant into the club of 100caps at the international level for senior national team players and whatever the outcome of that game against Uganda at the Akwa Ibom International Stadium on Wednesday, March 25,2105 we cannot take away the honour given to this worthy Akwa Ibom son who made history joining fellow compatriot Joseph Yobo on the podium of history. Coincidentally, both players have captained the senior national team with Enyeama still leading the team.

Ever since Coach Adegboye Onigbinde gave him that opportunity against England in our last group game at the 2002 Korea/ Japan World Cup where his full stretch save parried a shot over the bar, Enyeama success story has been on the rise and was last year close to winning the BBC African footballer of the year award for his heroics that piloted the national team.

A composed and focused team leader, Vincent Enyeama joins the league of world class players who have reached that centurion mark like the legendary David Beckham of England among others and makes him a role model not only in the country but on the continent as well as in Europe where he plies his trade.

Born on August 29, 2015, Vincent Enyeama made his debut for the Super Eagles on May 4, 2002 and has been consistent being the safest pair of hands between the sticks for the country till date. The University of Uyo graduate has had a rising profile from Akwa Ibom State in Ibom Stars where he played 56 matches to Enyimba FC of Aba where he spent three years with over 100caps scoring ten goals and he led the team to continental glory before his call to the national team  then his reign in Europe which has seen him feature for top sides like Bnei  Yehuda FC, Hapoel Tel Aviv FC and Maccabi FC in Israel before moving over to Lille in France where his heroics and records have put him as one of the best goalkeepers in the French Ligue One with many awards to reward his bravery on the pitch.

Enyeama represents the complete footballer who has at different times used his creativity to score vital goals that have uplifted his clubs to victory as he remains one of the best penalty takers in the world among goalkeeper legends.

He has featured in several UEFA Champions League qualifiers for his various clubsides and has made a tremendous impact for clubs he has featured in at the Europa Cup competition. He has also played prominent roles in the success stories of his various clubs featured winning trophies at the domestic scene.

He was part of the victorious winning team that won the Africa Cup of Nations Cup in 2013 in South Africa for a third time after a nineteen year wait and has been to the World Cup in 2002, 2010 and 2014. He has played in the Confederations Cup with the Super Eagles and has also featured qualifiers for continental fixtures and world cup qualifiers.

His experiences remain valuable to the national team as he remains the best as we recall the spat Samson Siasia had with him in 2012 cost the Eagles a spot at the 2012 Nations Cup as Dele Ayenugba’s poor timing on two occasions let the Guineans pick a qualification ticket for that tournament at the Abuja Stadium at the expense of the Nigeria.  

The nationwide condemnation of Siasia’s action led to his urgent recall to instill confidence in the team as he has remained the best pair of hands for the national team at 32 with no clear successor to confidently step into his shoes in the nearest future.

He has won several awards that has shaped and motivated him to excel including the prominent award as Best Goalkeeper in France in 2014 by L’Equipe thanks to his outstanding performances with his French club Lille, he has also won the Marc Vivian Foe Award for the best African player in the French Ligue One in the 2013- 2014 season as his impressive performance saw him keep a clean sheet in 11appearnces for his club as lille went on to secure a Champions League spot.

He has won the Nigerian Football Awards and was a finalist for the 2014 BBC African footballer of the year award. He holds the longest number of minutes for a goalkeeper in the French League for the longest hours without conceding a goal. He has many man of the match awards also to show his prowess in between the post and his recent honour in Akwa Ibom State by Governor Godswill Akpabio and the President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Melvin Pinnick on his 100th international cap is well deserved and rightly celebrated.

Back home, Vincent Enyeama continues to project more towards developing the round leather game on the home front as he continues to promote the game at the grassroots for the development of new talents.

He has led the national team since Joseph Yobo’s retirement as a leader who has taken his teammates confidence at heart and his composure on and off the pitch continues to endear him to the hearts of millions of fans who continue to remain confident that he remains in the moulds of Gordon Banks of England, Emmanuel Okala and Peter Rufai of Nigeria, Oliver Khan of Germany, Peter Schmeichel  who featured at Manchester United, Thomas Nkono of Cameroun, Zaki Baou of Morocco , Edward Ansah of Ghana just to mention a few legendary goalkeepers who have made history with the round leather game.

His timing of crosses, almost perfect positioning and control of his defence which in recent times have let him down have distinguished him as a goalkeeper that still has much to offer as age still remains on his side in achieving more glory in the nearest future.

Enyeama is one of Africa’s best shot stoppers and proved his mettle at the last World Cup at Brazil 2014. There have been games where he singlehandedly has saved Nigeria from scandalous score lines as his boldness and courage has kept him at the fore giving top global strikers more worries when he is in goal.

His professional attitude and level headed composure off the field has seen him devoid of any scandals as he enjoys the best of a great family life which has been a strong foundation to the team even as he leads the Super Eagles in spiritual exercises off and on the pitch.

For a family that has a strong football pedigree with a father who coached the University of Uyo football team for several years and was a key factor in bringing Vincent Enyeama to global limelight, his other brothers like Brendan have all played football to the highest levels of their careers and are well fulfilled as Vincent stands out.

At this critical stage of the challenge of the national team, Vincent Enyeama’s  wealth of experience comes to fore especially as he guides a new generation of senior national team players most of them playing for the first time as a team.

His leadership qualities will be called upon especially at this crucial period where the fans have deserted the national team due to its fast nose dive on the global stage and the unending search for a Manager for the team as the spat with the embattled coach Stephen Keshi and the Amaju Pinnick led NFF board persists.

It is his leadership skills that will guide the younger ones in the team not to be distracted by the madness in our football administration as he must keep the players united and not get involved with any administrative issues surrounding our football at this stage.

He must realise that his final years in the Super Eagles may just be starting as the World Cup in Russia 2018 may be his final international appearance and expectedly by that time he must have gained more international caps, gained more experiences, led a team of world class stars to the ultimate victory of making Africa proud at the biggest football fiesta.

This is the period that national service needs him and as the centurion which he truly deserves in our football, Vincent Enyeama deserves a national award and every respect from our sports administrators. He must be in the class of awardees under sports at the next National Honours and we believe that the President- Elect and his Sports Minister will take note of this milestone career achievement and recognise this patriotic Nigerian on the podium of history.

We can only wish Vincent Enyeama well as he continues his international career on the new side of the century and we believe that he has the best of good health to make him record more milestones as he leads the national team to new heights of international glory while we further commend him to sustain the developmental programmes that will develop our football at the grassroots as we look forward in churning out more world cup stars and heroes like him for our great country.
Congratulations Inem. The Centurion.