“If Didier Drogba or Yaya Toure scored a goal in each of their last eleven matches, or a hat trick in every one of their last ten games, we will be showering encomiums on them – hailing them as the best thing to have happened in football.
But for a goalkeeper to register clean sheets in succession, we do not give them the credit that they deserve”
Those are the words of New African Soccer Publisher ‘Tunde Adelakun, calling the attention of the world to the exploits of Nigerian goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama as he is peaking at the right time for his club – Lille OSC in France’s top division league.
Enyeama, who joined Lille in 2011 from Israeli side Hapoel Tel Aviv, has created history already, keeping 11 consecutive clean sheets in the French League for his club – Lille.
Since 15 September when his team lost 2-0 at home to Nice, Lille has not conceded a single goal, nor have they lost; and goalkeeper Enyeama has been instrumental to this run of form, which has seen them climb to second place in the Ligue 1 table.
Enyeama came into the limelight in 2002, when he was taken as back-up goalkeeper for Nigeria in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He only played one game in Japan, after Nigeria had been eliminated having losing their first two games. He was thrust in goal to play the third group game against England, and he managed to keep a clean sheet in that game, which ended 0-0.
Enyeama’s progress was steady, and he made his way from Enyimba FC in Nigeria (a club he helped win two consecutive African Champions League titles) to Israel.
In the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the brilliance of Enyeama showed in spite of the poor results his Nigerian team displayed. In the Super Eagles’ opening match against Argentina, he was responsible for no less than four point-blank saves from Lionel Messi, which helped keep the scoreline at a modest 1-0 to the Argentines.
The goalkeeper came in for criticism at his handling of some set pieces and one-on-one situations during the Nigerian qualifying campaign for the last Africa Cup of Nations, and sometimes during the most recent World Cup qualifiers.
“However, his response in this manner, in a season preceding the World Cup, can not have come at a better time, and he deserves to be applauded”, the Director of African Football Hall of Fame said.
“Enyeama can be Nigeria’s trump card for Brazil 2014, especially as he will be wearing the captain’s armband and will also be charged with the task of driving and motivating his team to yet unassailed heights in world football next year. We are looking at an African top performance in the World Cup, and goalkeepers are just as important in the squad as outfield players”. Adelakun concluded.
Lille OSC’s results with Enyeama in goal:
21 September – Sochaux 0 – 2 Lille
24 September – Lille 3 – 0 Evian
28 September – Lyon 0 – 0 Lille
5 October – Lille 3 – 0 AC Ajaccio
19 October – Montpellier 0 – 1 Lille
25 October – Nantes 0 – 1 Lille
3 November – Lille 2 – 0 Monaco
9 November – Guingamp 0 – 0 Lille
24 November – Lille 1 – 0 Toulouse
30 November – Valenciennes 0 – 1 Lille
3 December – Lille 1 – 0 Marseille
