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Tag: Enyeama

  • Ligue 1: Enyeama’s son joins Lille FC

    Ligue 1: Enyeama’s son joins Lille FC

    Former Super Eagles goal keeper   is thrilled to announce that his son has completed a move to Lille FC in France, as reported by  The young goalkeeper will begin his professional career with Lille FC’s U18 team, with aspirations of advancing to the first team in the future.

     

    Enyeama shared the exciting news on his Facebook page, marking a proud moment as his son follows in his footsteps. Vincent Enyeama himself joined Lille in June 2011 and had an illustrious career, achieving numerous accolades and milestones.

     

    In his debut for Lille on October 18, 2011, Enyeama faced Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League group stage, a match that ended in a 1-0 victory for Inter. After a loan spell to Maccabi Tel Aviv in August 2012, where he played 27 Israeli Premier League fixtures and helped win the championship title, Enyeama returned to Lille to establish himself as a key player.

     

    During the 2013–14 Ligue 1 season under manager René Girard, Enyeama was the first-choice goalkeeper. His exceptional performances, supported by center-backs Marko Baša and Simon Kjær, led to 11 consecutive clean sheets. Enyeama came close to breaking Gaëtan Huard’s Ligue 1 goalkeeping record of 1,176 minutes without conceding, playing 1,062 minutes before conceding to Bordeaux’s Landry N’Guémo on December 8, 2013.

     

    Despite a challenging 2017–18 season, where he did not make a league appearance due to a disagreement with the club’s management, Enyeama remained dedicated to his career. He rejoined Lille’s first-team training in July 2018 and parted ways with the club by mutual consent on August 31, 2018. Enyeama attempted a comeback with a trial at French club Dijon in July 2019. Although he didn’t secure a contract, he expressed gratitude to the club.

     

    After hoping to continue playing, Enyeama ultimately retired at the end of the 2019–20 season. His legacy endures as his son begins his own journey as a goalkeeper at Lille, aiming to achieve significant success like his father and contribute to the club’s rich history.

     

    Vincent Enyeama confirmed his son’s progress on Facebook: “God is the greatest. Home sweet home. Back home in a different skin #losc #prouddaddy❤️ #younggoalie #youngcoach #newadventure @losclive.”

  • Super Eagles: Shame that Kanu, Okocha didn’t get 100 caps – Enyeama

    Super Eagles: Shame that Kanu, Okocha didn’t get 100 caps – Enyeama

    Former Nigeria goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama, has said it is a shame that former players like Austin Okocha, Peter Rufai, and Nwankwo Kanu, didn’t play at least 100 matches for the national team.

    In the seven decades history of international football, only two players have a century of caps for the senior national team – Enyeama and Joseph Yobo.

    Okocha has only 73 caps, Rufai boasts of just 65 appearances, while Kanu amassed 86 caps.

    Enyeama told ESPN: “One hundred caps is nothing. I think it is a shame that we have only two players that have played for Nigeria up to 100 times.

    “It is a big shame because with the quality we have in Nigeria, we should have more. That shows that there is a lack of continuity, consistency, commitment on the part of the players and management.

    “Look at other top football countries; you will find that many of their players, active and retired, have more than 100 caps.

    “But we have players in Nigeria playing 10 to 15 years and still don’t get up to 100 caps because these coaches come in and change players all the time.

    “Players like Jay Jay (Okocha), Peter Rufai, Kanu deserve to have more than 100 caps. It is sad that Mikel could not get up to 100 because he was very close to it. Going forward, we need to do better. We need more players to get there.”

  • Why I rejected offers to play for Arsenal, Tottenham – Enyeama

    Former Lille goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama said he snubbed offers from Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur because they wanted him as a second choice goalkeeper.

    The 37-year-old attracted interest from North London clubs after his fine outing with the Super Eagles at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

    He said he was keen on having regular playing time and his snub made the Gunners move for David Ospina who joined Napoli permanently last year after impressing on loan.

    “Arsenal wanted me for second choice, but I was not interested. I also had an offer from Tottenham that wanted me for second choice also and I wasn’t interested,” Enyeama told ESPN.

    “It was after the 2006 Nations Cup and then again around the 2014 World Cup. When I turned them down, that is when they [Arsenal] took David Ospina.

    “For me, I was at the stage where I preferred playing even if it was for one of the smallest teams. That is what the agents that were involved told me. That Arsene (Wenger) wanted me but he is not so sure because of my height and things like that.

    “People have their choices and I respect their choices.”

    Enyeama had a trial at Bolton Wanderers in the early 2000s and was close to signing a deal with the Whites which never happened.

    “I am still wondering why I didn’t sign. It was a trial that went so well,” he continued. “They even told me I was going to get jersey number 35. All that was left was just to do the medicals.

    “I was supposed to be number three, because Bolton had two goalkeepers already, with Jussi Jaaskelainen as number one.”

  • Super Eagles Coach Rohr Turn Down Question On Return Of Vincent Enyeama

    The coach of the Super Eagles of Nigeria Gernot Rohr refused to provide any update on the impending return of out of favour Lille shot stopper Vincent Enyeama to the Super Eagles.

    Rohr has openly voiced out his desire to have the 35 year old back in the team, two years after he announced his retirement from the team after a row with former coach Sunday Oliseh, but his lack of action at his club Lille could put the move on hold.

    Enyeama’s future at the Ligue 1 side is in doubt after now suspended coach Marcelo Bielsa named him and some other senior players surplus to requirements upon his appointment as coach.

    The situation has forced Rohr to say talks about his return should not be the focus now rather, his return to club football should be the worry of all for now.
    “You cannot ask this question about Vincent because he is not fit,” Rohr told KweséESPN.

    “He is not playing,” Rohr added.

    “For the moment, this question, we cannot answer it because he is not playing yet.

    “But I hope he will come back and if he is doing well at Lille or another club, I think he will change,” the coach continued.

    “I hope he will be back also to continue his career.”

    owngoalnigeria

     

  • Russia 2018: Eguavoen, Ikpeba support calls for Enyeama’s return

    Former Nigerian internationals Austin Eguavoen and Victor Ikpeba are drumming up support for the return of Vincent Enyeama to the Super Eagles for next year’s World Cup.

    Enyeama had retired from the team in 2015 following a fallout with then coach Sunday Oliseh.

    The three-time African champions have yet to find a reliable replacement for him following Carl Ikeme’s leukemia diagnoses.

    Ikpeba said Enyeama’s experience would prove invaluable for the Super Eagles in Russia.

    “Experience is the key, this is the World Cup and he could be like mentor to other goalkeepers, he has paid his dues,” he said.

    “At the 1998 World Cup, we suffered when we brought back a goalkeeper who was finished.”

    On his part, former Eagles coach Eguavoen, who called the former Lille goalkeeper a top-class goalie, said he would be delighted if Enyeama returned to the team.

    “Vincent is experienced and he will bring more competition to the team because the other goalkeepers now feel very relaxed,” he said.

    “He is a top-class goalkeeper, who should get his chance in friendlies leading to the World Cup. There will not be many games to play before the World Cup and so fresh call-ups will take a while to settle in.”