Vincent Enyeama: Recall to Super Eagles Beckons

Ahead of Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Cameroon, Super Eagles Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr is a worried man after injury knocked out number one goalkeeper, Carl Ikeme. Rohr is nursing the idea of recalling 34-year old former national team captain, Vincent Enyeama. Kunle Adewale wonders if the recall would not be a retrogressive step for Nigerian football  

Wolverhampton Wanderers goalie, Carl Ikeme’s fitness has been in doubt after picking an injury ahead of the Super Eagles’ friendly match against Senegal in London on March 24, forcing Gernot Rohr to give South Africa-based Daniel Akpeyi the nod to start the game.

With the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations clash against South Africa in Uyo on June 5, Wolves Manager Paul Lambert has hinted that Ikeme could be out for the rest of the season, which end on May 7. “I’m not sure if he’ll be back this season, it’s not one where I’m thinking ‘he’s going to make it’. I’m not sure,” Lambert said on Monday, putting Ikeme’s availability against South Africa and Cameroon in doubt. As a result, Rohr is thinking about recalling former national team safe hands-Vincent Enyeama.

In a chat with THISDAY, former Nigeria international, Tajudeen Disu, frowned at the idea of recalling Enyeama, because “we have several other goalkeepers that can take the place of injured Ikeme.

“Injury is part of the game of football and we must be ready to live with it and that is why a good coach must have a replacement for every player in case of injury or loss of form. By ignoring the reserve goalkeepers and going as far as recalling Enyeama would be tantamount to killing their morale. Every player always waits for such opportunity to make an impression.

“Examples are many in world football where reserved players take advantage of such opportunities to become regular players. Bypassing these reserved goalkeepers to recall a goalkeeper that left two years ago is like indirectly telling them that they are not even worthy of being reserved goalkeepers or are just bidding their time in camp without any chance to be in goal no matter how much improvement they put in,” Disu said.

Speaking further, the defunct Abiola Babes of Abeokuta Captain said: “If the injury to Ikeme had occurred in the middle of tournament, would he had muted the idea of Enyeama or fall on his reserve goalkeepers? Moreover, the circumstances that led to the Lille of France quitting the national team are not even ideal for his recall.”

Enyeama as Super Eagles number one goalkeeper and captain was booted out of the team’s Hotel Verviers camp in Belgium after attempting to explain the reason for his late arrival to the then national team coach, Sunday Oliseh. He was said to have stood up to state his reasons for arriving camp late when Oliseh asked him to shut up and leave, but he refused and the coach reportedly called on security officials to send him out of camp.

Since his employment as Super Eagles’ Technical Adviser, Rohr had been nursing the idea of bringing back the former Enyimba of Aba safe hands to the Eagles’ fold but to no avail.

 “I asked about Enyeama when I signed because I know his qualities. I also spoke with the goalkeepers’ coach Alloy Agu and he spoke highly of him. I’ve called and spoken with Enyeama since my resumption but nothing is settled yet. I will see him after the Tanzania game because I saw him play in France and he’s the kind of player we need to help us move forward,” Rohr said before his first game in charge of the national team against Tanzania.

The German reiterated his attempt at bringing in Enyeama during the World Cup qualifiers against Algeria in Uyo after injury to Ikeme but said the Lille goal tender refused to pick his calls.

“When we had crisis in our hands after Carl Ikeme’s injury, I called him over 10 times and he never responded nor called back. I am happy with how Daniel Akpeyi responded to the test when he was called up as emergency cover, but he needs to buckle up because we can’t solely depend on Ikeme.”

Rohr then revealed that plans were in the offing to inject home-based players into the national team, having requested for videos of all best players. He said then that Rangers coach; Imama Amakapabo and Salisu Yusuf had both been mandated to send him videos of all the best players in the Nigeria league before a decision would be made on their possible inclusion.

“Our objective is to have young players who are motivated; players who like their country and are honoured to represent their country.”

The question on the lips of observers is why then is Rohr looking at the direction of Enyeama when he can lay hands on the video tapes of all the goalkeepers in the local league? Or are they not convincing enough?

Meanwhile, Enyeama has revealed his unwillingness to wear the national team’s colours again.

“I am no more available for international duties. I want to say thank you to Nigerian fans and supporters worldwide. It’s been the most trying period of my life but I know that Nigerians are there for me and God is with me. God bless Nigeria,” Enyeama wrote on Instagram.

For Waidi Akani, recalling Enyeama to the national team now would be one of the most unprogressive moves by those at the helms of our football.

“Trying to bring him back will call for a lot of questions. Is Vincent Enyeama himself psychologically and emotionally ready to play for the national team again? What positivity will his presence bring to the dressing room? How will the other goalkeepers feel with his presence? Is there no other goalkeeper in the country that could take the place of Ikeme? These are just some of the questions that may arise with the recall of Ikeme,” Akani said.

“Without taking anything away from Ikeme, I don’t think the difference between him and all the other goalkeepers in the team are that wide,” the bronze-winning 2005 World Youth Championship in Russia noted.

Meanwhile former national team captain and coach, Christian Chukwu has backed Rohr’s attempt to convince Enyeama to return to the Super Eagles in time for 2018 World Cup qualifiers.

“It’s left for coach to choose the players for his team and it’s left for Enyeama to decide whether he wants to play for the country again,” said Chukwu.

Born on August 29, 1982, Enyeama had a spell with Enyimba FC of Aba and won the CAF Champions League back-to-back. After three seasons with Enyimba and one with Iwuanyanwu Nationale, he moved to a minor club in Israel, Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv. In 2007, he moved to another Israeli side, Haoel Tel Aviv, which he helped reach the state cup final.

During the 2008/09 season, Hapoel missed the league title by the whiskers, with Enyeama winning the “Player of The Year” award. In 2009/10 Hapoel won the double, with Enyeama scoring a goal during the Cup Final. In June 2011, he moved to Lille for an undisclosed fee on a three-year contract.

At the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations, Enyeama stopped three kicks in the quarter-final penalty shootout against Tunisia, but could not prevent a loss to Cote d’ Ivoire in the semi-final. In the 2010 tournament, he was again Nigeria’s shootout hero at the quarter-final game against Zambia and scoring the winning kick himself.

Enyeama made his second FIFA World Cup appearance at 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. He also awarded man of the match in Nigeria’s 2–1 loss to Greece.

At the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, Enyeama deputised for regular captain Joseph Yobo and led Nigeria to its third continental victory, keeping a clean sheet in a 1–0 defeat of Burkina Faso in the final. He was named in the Team of the Tournament as first choice goalkeeper.

In June 2014, Enyeama was named in Nigeria’s squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. In the Super Eagles’ first and second fixtures he kept clean sheet, 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.

On March 26, 2015, Enyeama won his 100th cap for Nigeria in a 1–0 loss to Uganda. He retired from international football on October 8, 2015.