Vincent Enyeama is often compared favorably to Andre Onana’s recent struggles at Manchester United. When someone claimed that there have never been good Black goalkeepers in football history, dismissing it as “an African thing,” Nigerians are highlighting Enyeama as Africa’s greatest goalkeeper.
Vincent Enyeama, now 41 (born August 29, 1982), was not just a shot-stopper but among the first wave of ball-playing goalkeepers before it became widespread. He’s one of the few goalkeepers with a UEFA Champions League goal to his name.
Throughout his career, Enyeama made 601 club appearances, scoring 20 times. He played 101 games for Nigeria, keeping 50 clean sheets.
Enyeama’s achievements include:
- Winning the Nigeria Premier League with Enyimba in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004.
- Winning the CAF Champions League with Enyimba in 2003 and 2004.
- Winning the Israeli Premier League with Hapoel Tel Aviv in 2010 and Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2013.
- Claiming the Israeli State Cup with Hapoel Tel Aviv in 2010 and 2011.
Enyeama earned over 10 individual awards, including:
- Player of the Year in Israel (2009)
- King of the Pitch Award in Nigeria (2004)
- CAF Champions League Best Goalkeeper (2003, 2004)
- IFFHS Best Goalkeeper in Africa (2014)
- Appeared in the Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament twice (2004, 2013)
Enyeama played a crucial role in Nigeria’s 2013 Africa Cup of Nations victory. He also represented Nigeria in three FIFA World Cups (2002, 2010, 2014) and six Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.
Other notable achievements:
- Set a Ligue 1 record of 1,062 minutes without conceding a goal in the 2013-14 season with Lille.
- Finished 17th in the Guardian’s list of Top 100 Footballers in the World in 2013.
- Named among the 10 best goalkeepers in Europe by UEFA in 2016.
