Nigeria will reach the semi-finals - Enyeama
If all goes according to plan, Nigerian
goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama will play in his
third FIFA World Cup™ next month. He is
fresh off winning the Marc-Vivien Foe award
given to the best African player in France's
Ligue 1, and following up on his impressive
performances for the Super Eagles at South
Africa 2010, Enyeama has high expectations.
Although Nigeria have struggled in their last
two World Cups, the Lille custodian tells
FIFA.com that the African champions can
make deep in-roads in Brazil after being
drawn into Group F against Iran, Bosnia-
Herzegovina and Argentina.
“I think we are going to make big progress,"
Enyeama said. "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."
The 31-year-old first played for Nigeria at
Korea/Japan 2002, when coach Festus
Onigbinde gave the then 19-year-old a
starting place in their final group game
against England, after the team had already
been eliminated. Enyeama's outstanding
display helped the Super Eagles to a goalless
draw and was a sign of things to come for the
Kaduna-born goalkeeper, who took over the
No1 jersey from Ike Shorunmu when the
veteran retired shortly after that World Cup.
Since then, Enyeama has been an ever-
present for his country, shining at South
Africa 2010 and last year's FIFA
Confederations Cup, and winning the CAF
Africa Cup of Nations 2013 - a tournament the
West Africans are hoping to defend in
Morocco next year.
It will be the third time in a row that Nigeria
will be facing Argentina at the World Cup, but
more importantly for Enyeama, a match-up
with France in the second round could be on
the cards: “If we play against France, it will
be interesting, but if we play against
Switzerland, it will also be interesting.
The important thing is to qualify.
"Playing France for a place in the last eight is
not really what matters to me right now, I just
want the team to make it to the second round.
But maybe we will come out first, and then we
will not have to play against France.”
Ghana almost reached the semi-finals four
years ago. We are going to be the first African
team to get to the semi-finals of the World
Cup.
Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama
Enyeama started his career with Ibom Stars,
before moving to Nigerian giants Enyimba,
with whom he twice won the CAF Champions
League. A short stint with Heartland FC
followed.
He then embarked on his overseas career in
2005 when he joined Bnei Yehuda in Israel.
His performances with the side were so
impressive that Israeli glamour club Hapoel
Tel Aviv put in an offer and Enyeama made
the short move across town. With Hapoel he
played in the UEFA Champions League and
even managed to score a goal in the play-off
round against Red Bull Salzburg.
He joined Ligue 1 club Lille in 2011, but failed
to break into the first side and returned to
Israel in 2012, where he joined Maccabi Tel
Aviv on loan, winning the championship with
them. He returned to Lille a year later and
was made first choice goalkeeper by coach
Rene Girard and has not looked back since.
“I always wanted to be a first-choice goalie
anywhere I played. I always wanted to be the
person who puts the smile on people’s face. At
first it was not the case here, but it changed. I
don’t work for trophies. I work to improve my
game, to help my team. Trophies are just the
icing on the cake.”
Foe award elevates Enyeama confidence
Enyeama has enjoyed a highly successful
season with Lille, helping the club to third in
the league, keeping 21 clean sheets in the
process and coming close to breaking the
Ligue 1 record for a goalkeeper without
conceding a goal. However, those statistics are
far from the most important thing to him.
He said: “I don’t care about statistics. I just
want to see how far I can go and help my
team. When I am no longer effective, then I
leave the scene. I also do not care to be the
most-capped player in the history of the Super
Eagles - things like that.”
But even if Enyeama is not chasing records,
his performances were greatly appreciated
this season, as the awarding of the Marc-
Vivien Foe award shows. “This is a great
trophy, I'm really happy," he said.
"It is inspiring because it bears the name of a
great player - Marc-Vivien Foe - who worked
so hard to succeed and save his team and his
country. I think this award will give me more
confidence for the World Cup.”
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