Vincent Enyeama is a very popular soccer player. Almost everyone knows that he is African and Nigerian. I think you also know that he is an international goalkeeper and has played for both Nigeria national team and French OSC Lille. But there are so many other interesting things about him that have never crossed your mind. Let’s look at some interesting things about Vincent Enyeama.
A. Personal life
1. He was born on August 8, 1982 in Kaduna, northern Nigeria.
2. He hails from Akwa Ibom State in southern Nigeria. This has brought so much hate and tribal criticism towards his side, but he is not worried about it as he said it makes him even stronger.
3. In 2004, Enyeama was involved in a car accident in Uyo, the capital of his state, Akwa Ibom, which killed two motorcycle passengers. The driver of the car Enyeama was in was in critical condition. Although the accident was fatal and the car flipped twice trying to avoid the motorcycle, Enyeama only got bruises.
B. Career
4. Vincent made his debut for the Nigerian football team against Kenya in May 2002. He has been playing for Nigeria ever since and that is more than fifteen years ago. During these years he has participated in three FIFA World Cup tournaments (2002, 2010 and 2014) as well as several African Cup of Nations tournaments including 2013 when he was captain and helped win the Nigerian championship.
5. During his stint at Enyimba International FC, he won the CAF Champions League twice, with a notable mention: he was always substituted before penalties. “I don’t know why I was substituted before the penalty shootout, but it worked,” he said in an interview in 2006.
6. He was named Player of the Year as a goalkeeper despite not playing for the championship team. During the 2008/09 season, Enyeama was voted Player of the Year at Hapoel Tel Aviv in the Israeli Premier League. This was quite unusual as goalkeepers rarely received the award and Hapoel did not win the league that season.
7. Enyeama made his second FIFA World Cup appearance at the 2010 tournament in South Africa. He was named man of the match in Nigeria’s opening game and put in a challenging performance that limited Argentina to a 1–0 win. Enyeama, who earned his 56th cap with the Super Eagles, made six fine saves against the two-time world champions, four of them by Lionel Messi. Argentina coach Diego Maradona praised him as the reason why Messi couldn’t score.
8. He kept a clean sheet in his first 11 consecutive games at Lille OSC. Enyeama didn’t allow goals. In total, he has scored goals in 21 games without conceding a goal.
9. Enyeama’s savings relative to conceded ratioThey are seven points ahead of established goalkeepers like Victor Valdés (FC Barcelona), Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus) and Morgan de Sanctis (AS Roma).
10. At the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, Enyeama, replacing regular captain Joseph Yobo, who remained on the bench for most of the competition. On 10 February, Enyeama led Nigeria to their third win on the continent, keeping a clean sheet in a 1–0 win over Burkina Faso in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations final. He was named to the team of the tournament as the best goalkeeper and conceded just four goals in six games.
11. He compromised his words to strip naked when Nigeria won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations tournament. Before the 2013 AFCON tournament, Enyeama said he would dance naked if that happened. Afterward, however, he compromised, saying: “I never said I would take off my clothes, but I remember saying I would take off my leotard, but I would party in my knickers, but I was told by well-meaning people.” Advised people not to do this and I’ve changed my mind.”
12. Statistics show that Vincent Enyeama was the best goalkeeper in the major leagues across Europe in the 2013/14 football season. In June 2014, Enyeama was called up to Nigeria’s squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.