Vincent Enyeama says South Africa 2010 FIFA World Cup group stage game between Nigeria and Argentina is his best in the colours of the Super Eagles, Completesports.com reports.
The Eagles opened their campaign against Argentina in South Africa which they lost 1-0 through a Gabriel Heinze first half goal.
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In the course of the game, Enyeama made strings of important saves mostly from then FIFA World Player of the Year Lionel Messi.
And reacting to a short video clip of the game on Twitter, Enyeama said he will never forget the game.
“I will never forget this match. Rated as my best match in Super Eagles,” he wrote on his verified Twitter handle.
The Eagles crashed out in the group stage at the 2010 World Cup after picking just one point in their three group games, lost 2-1 to Greece and drew 2-2 with South Korea.
By James Agberebi
7 Comments
3 picks of Vincent “the cat” Enyeama best games for me in the SE colours will be
1. His debut match at the World Cup 2002 against England where he made some brilliant performance notably that breathe-taking save from Paul Scholes
2. The 2010 World Cup match against Argentaina (as mentioned above) where he stood his ground against the Argentaina mastero, Lionel Messi
3. The Afcon 1/4 match against Cote D’ivoire in South Africa 2013 where a led the young SE players to victory.
I still also feel that the 2010 World Cup encounter between Nigeria and Argentina was the match that catapulted Vincent Enyeama into Superstar status.
Before then, he was a very decent goalkeeper who could be trusted to do his job when called upon.
However, it was nothing short of miraculous that the encounter against Argentina ended 1:0 as the Argentines registered 19 goal attempts with some definitely destined for the back of the net but for Enyeama’s heavenly heroics.
“It was God that did it for me,” the former Lille man said afterwards.
“I had watched Messi in a few La Liga matches but God is my secret, my friend, he makes the difference in my life – he made me so calm out there.”
It had to have been God because I had never in my life seen such saves by any Nigerian goalkeeper before then and afterwards.
Coach Maradona wanted to obliterate Nigeria in this match. He unleashed a front (deadly) three of Carlos Tevez, Gonzalo Higuaín and Messi, with Javier Mascherano and Juan Sebastián Verón sitting and the then-Newcastle pacey winger Jonás Gutiérrez as an unlikely right-back.
This was more than a statement of intent. Nothing but the ‘hand of God’ was going to prevent Nigeria from going down to a heavy loss in South Africa on this day.
Vincent Enyeama — later named man of the match – blocked, tipped and smothered almost everything that Argentina’s megastars threw at him. Only Gabriel Heinze’s sixth-minute header from a corner kick that seeped through which would ultimately proved decisive.
On that day, the hands of Enyeama were blessed, blessed enough to keep the scoresheet respectable.
Earning him the ‘Man of the Match’ award was itself quite remarkable when you consider that, not only was Enyeama on the losing side, he also had world class players from Argentina to contend with.
It will go down as Enyeama’s finest hour in Super Eagles colours.
I won’t also forget the AFCON quarter final match against Zambia in 2010. That was the year Zambia could have won the AFCON but enyeama singlehandedly denied them in the game. The the likes of Nathan Sinkala, Chisamba Lungu and the petit ex TP mazembe playmaker Rainford Kalaba running rings around our so-called EPL stars back then, and with late Amodu Shauiba looking lost for ideas on the bench, the Troika of Collins Mbesuma, Mayuka and Captain Katongo stopped at nothing to put a sword through the hearts of Nigerians that night, but Vincent “clean sheet” Enyeama dived, parried, blocked and plucked goal-bound balls from space like ripe agbalumo in rainy season. Going on to be our saviour in the ensuing penalty shootout after we barely managed to weather the windstorm from Lusaka.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration if anyone says Vince is Nigeria’s best goaltender of all time. The records affirm it.
Enyeama is our best ever goalkeeper!!!
He is a delight to watch, very confident, Sharp and fast also.
I will praise our own ooh… he is the best ever in the world!
Vincent Enyeama says South Africa 2010 FIFA World Cup group stage game between Nigeria and Argentina.
I will also add Nigeria vs Tunisia match that went into the penalty to the list as the best of Enyeama match for Nigeria.
Eagles eventually won the match but the match was very tough and followed by the South Africa 2010 against Argentina were two matches I can say Enyeama did extremely good.
Nigerians used to good goalkeepers such as
Best Ogedegbe
Peter Rufai
Ike Shorumu
Enyeama
Ikeme.
These goalies were confident and well composed whenever they were in actions for Nigeria.
This is where I’m having problem with coach Rohr and Aloy Agu.
I have been asking this question but no answer to that yet.
How long it took Olishe to discovered Ikeme?
Why recycling Akpayi while we have Osage and other good goalkeepers that are better than the one we have?
Okoye is good but the manager doesn’t trust him.
“Good Coaches Make Good Players” According to “coach Amunike” which is true. If you are not a tall goalie, your chances are very slim under coach Rohr tenor.
A good goalkeeper will have self confidence and good positioning when their are in action.
We still have good players in Nigeria and abroad. Why are we telling Nigerians lies every day?
Our league may not that good or improved but it’s manageable.
We still have talents locally and overseas.
Here is the response of coach Amunike.
“Good Coaches Make Good Players! Amunike aims Dig at Super Eagles Coaches over NPFL Players Snub.
Nigerian footballers plying their trade in the Country’s local leagues have been the subject of a systemic cold treatment in the Super Eagles.
Head coach of the Nigeria senior men’s team Gernot Rohr, who is one of the longest serving Eagles Coaches, has openly criticized the quality of the league in the past.
The German insists the structure of the topflight league and quality are among factors why it’s almost impossible to invite and give NPFL players minutes in the Eagles.
Recently, former assistant Coach of the team Imama Amapakabo said Nigerian based players can’t interpret strategy and aren’t as intelligent in the game.
In contrast, former Super Eagles winger and Flying Eagles Coach Emmanuel Amunike has suggested Coaching and not the players based in Nigeria should come under scrutiny.
Amunike who also played for Zamalek SC, Sporting CP and Barcelona argued that Nigerian players based in the domestic league can improve “if they are given good programs”.
“We may say we don’t have good players, but I tell you every player is product of a program that helps them grow and do well,” Amunike told brila.net.
“If the program is good it helps players improve and that was how most of us emerged to play in the national team.”
Mr. Amunike is a man of choice.
Enough of excuses. NFF should do the right thing.
Option one,
Head coach, Mr. Rohr
Amunike assistant coach
Yobo assistant coach
OR
Eguavon head coach
Amunike assistant
Yobo assistant coach
God bless Nigeria!!!
Enyeama is Nigeria’s best ever – no comparison. I can name several matches where he was stupendous!! If he’s era was now, our team will be complete.
Imagine Enyeama and Ikeme switching goalkeeping duties for Nigeria and then slowly phasing into retirement, so there’d be a natural progression of youngsters. It seems natural forces plus poor man management made that impossible and has boxed us into the current goal-minder crisis we currently find ourselves in.
That is why no matter the merits people associate with Siasia and Oliseh, no one can deny they both have very poor player/employer management skills. Oliseh was the absolute worst! Under his short (some would say ‘forgettable’) spell as SE coach, he permanently robbed us of both Enyeama and Emenike and then went AWOL himself shortly after.