Vincent Enyeama (born 29 August 1982) is a Nigerian professional
footballer who plays for French club
Lille OSC and the
Nigerian national team, as a
goalkeeper.
Since making his debut in 2002 for Nigeria, he has since become the
captain and is now the most capped player ever for the national team.
Enyeama made his second FIFA World Cup participation in the 2010 tournament in
South Africa. In Nigeria's opening match, he was named man of the match, producing a defiant display to restrict
Argentina
to a 1–0 win. Enyeama, who was playing his 56th international for the
Super Eagles, made six fine saves against the two-time world champions,
four of them from
Lionel Messi. Argentine coach
Diego Maradona
praised him as the reason Messi was not able to score a goal. Enyeama
was also awarded man of the match in the team's next fixture, a 2–1 loss
to
Greece, but was at fault for
Vasilis Torosidis' winning goal.
[8]
At the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, Enyeama deputised for regular captain
Joseph Yobo, who stayed on the bench for most of the competition.
[6] On 10 February, Enyeama led Nigeria to its third continental victory, keeping a clean sheet in a 1–0 defeat of
Burkina Faso in the
2013 Africa Cup of Nations Final. He was named to the team of the tournament as first choice goalkeeper, conceding only four goals in six matches.
[9]
In June 2014, Enyeama was named in Nigeria's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
[10] In the Super Eagles' first fixture, he kept the second FIFA World Cup clean sheet of his career as the team drew 0–0 with
Iran.
[11] He subsequently recorded a second consecutive shutout in the fixture against
Bosnia and Herzegovina, a 1–0 win which gave Nigeria its first win at the tournament since the
1998 edition.
[12]
He conceded three goals in the last match of the first round against
Argentina, a game which ended in a 3–2 defeat for Nigeria, placing them
second in the group and thus qualifying them for the second round for
the first time in 16 years.
[13]
On 26 March 2015, Enyeama won his 100th cap for Nigeria in a 1–0 loss to
Uganda.