29th December, 2014
Former Nigerian internationals are divided over the chances of compatriot and current goalkeeper of the senior national team. the Super Eagles, Vincent Enyeama of winning the 2014 Glo-CAF African Football Award which will be given out in Lagos on 8 January, 2015.
While some of them believe Enyeama, the Lille Metropole of France shot stopper has a good chance of winning the award, others are of the opinion that Yaya Toure, the Ivorian star would beat him to the award.
Alloy Agu, one time Nigerian goalkeeper, the Eagles’ number one choice in the early nineties, said that Enyeama has done well for both club and the country in the year under review, hence the chance of him winning the coveted African award.
“I think Enyeama merits the award. he has done well for the club and the country especially the last World Cup in Brazil. He has been outstanding for his Ligue 1 club as well. These are criteria which to me should give Enyeama the edge over the other shortlisted players, Yaya Toure of Ivory Coast and Manchester City and Gabon’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
“There is also a first time for everything in life and I don’t see any reason Enyeama cannot be the first goalkeeper to win the award,” said Agu who retired at the age of 30 after he played 28 international matches for the Nigeria and was brought to the 1994 FIFA World Cup and the 1994 African Nations Cup as a cover for Peter Rufai.
To another ex-Eagles goalie, Abiodun Baruwa, Enyeama winning the award will not just be an individual award but for goalkeepers generally across the African continent.
“When you look at history not too many goalkeepers have been selected as nominees in the final three. But with Vincent Enyeama’s selection I believe it’s a good sign for the trade, especially when you consider what Vincent has done for his club and the country in the year under review,” he said.
But Ifeanyi Udeze who last featured for Nigeria in a 2006 World Cup qualifier against Angola in 2005, “the award should go to Toure because he has performed better than other shortlisted players. I pray and wish that my friend and countryman Enyeama should win the award but to be realistic, we can’t compare Enyeama and Toure’s achievements, they are poles apart.