As the clock keeps ticking and we approach the end of the decade with each sweep of the second hand, the countless debates about best players and greatest teams of the last 10 years rage across all sports.
This is also ongoing in Nigeria where the pundits keep releasing their best of the best comparisons and while every player and team arguably deserve the accolades piled on them, if we are to be truly honest, one player stands head and shoulders above everybody else and his name is Vincent Enyeama.
Without any doubt, he was the closest Nigeria came to a truly world-class footballer in any position.
He brought stability and a quiet refreshing confidence between the sticks that Nigerians had not seen in decades. He spoilt us by playing with the heart of a lion, the tenacity of badger and the flexibility of a flying carpet.
Since his retirement circa four years ago, the Goalkeeping department has been a constant chink in the amour of the three-time African champion driving coach Rohr almost crazy and forcing him to play musical chairs in that position. There is no doubt that proper quality at the number 1 position cost Nigeria arguably her fourth Afcon title or at least an appearance in the final in Egypt this year. Mahrez's last-second dagger in the heart would have been saved by Enyeama and that you can take to the bank
In 2010, he made the first of his first two appearances at the World Cup and began a highlight reel that would captivate football fans for years to come. His rivalry with Messi would become legendary.
His performance against Argentina in the first Group B game in South Africa was of such restaurant quality that his constant repelling of La Albiceleste is now used as a teaching tool for all aspiring goalkeepers.
He would return to South Africa three years later by bringing joy to the green-white-green faithful as the Super Eagles' captain and delivering their first Afcon title in 19 years with a stingy defence that allowed only two goals from open play. In the final itself, while Mba's 5 seconds of fame remains etched in our minds, so too was Vincent's fingertip parrying of the Wilfried Sanou rocket that had it gone in, may have altered the game's final result.
This is why after the match, coach Keshi's (RIP) bear hug lasted longer and looked tighter than with any other player. The gaffer knew the quality of his captain.
A year later he was again in the headlines.
En route to the World Cup in Brazil, he was beaten only four times in eight games and helped Nigeria progress to the knockout stage something it had not done since 1998 in France.
In Brazil we the fans were served a second helping of the game within the game between the the two major Nigerian and Argentinean antagonists. Who can forget their mutual smirk of respect after Messi finally bent his set play ball past the fully extended 1.82m frame of the Super Eagle after being thwarted all day long?
While most marvelled at his eye-hand coordination many we deliciously surprised at the reflexes he displayed with his feet as well. His save against Bosnia-Herzegovina was of such beauty that he was now being compared to the German Ubermensch and keeper-sweeper Neuer. It, therefore, came as no shock that he was named among the best three goalkeepers at the tournament.
But people in Nigeria, Israel and France already knew that the man was exceptional. In France with Lille, he fell just 115 minutes short of breaking Gaetan Huard’s Ligue 1 clean-sheet record after refusing to pick the ball out of his net for more than 17 hours of play.
So impressive was this feat that he would be bestowed the Marc-Vivien Foe Award acknowledging Africa's player best in France. It would be the second time that a none Francophone player would snag this honour with only Andre Ayew doing so as well.
Quite recently another African great, the Ghanaian midfield maestro Michael Essien compiled the greatest African players of the decade and shared that picking the goalkeeper spot, which he gave to Enyeama, was the easiest slot to fill. Such was the man's quality.
We couldn't agree more, so based on all of this, you know the sum of all his accomplishments during the past 10 years, and with no disrespect to other greats, there is no doubt that he is Nigeria's player of the last decade and the shadow he left with an amazing 101 caps will continue to loom over Nigerian football for quite a while.
And deservedly so.
Orginally published for Opera in December 2019
