Afrigather The previous Nigeria worldwide loved a lot of his goalkeeping success in Israel, the place he’s thought-about one of many nation’s biggest goalkeeping imports, however he additionally left a long-lasting mark in France
Sunday, December 3, 2023, marked a decade since legendary Nigerian goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama etched his title in Ligue 1 historical past by going an astounding 1,062 minutes with out conceding a purpose, Soccernet.ng reviews.
Lille, nonetheless in awe of “Spider Enyeaman’s” unbelievable feat, took to their official website to have a good time the anniversary of this outstanding achievement.
Enyeama’s Journey to Immortality
Vincent Enyeama’s journey with LOSC started on July 1, 2011, when he joined from Hapoel Tel Aviv, the place he had received the Israeli league and cup double in 2010.
Enyeama, nevertheless, spent the 2011/12 season as a backup goalkeeper at Lille, and he was even shipped again to Israel on mortgage to Maccabi Tel Aviv for the 2012/13 marketing campaign.
He returned to France in 2013, having helped Maccabi Tel Aviv win the Israeli Premier League and captained Nigeria to glory on the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.
Following a wonderful 12 months, and forward of the 2013-2014 season, Lille coach René Girard handed Enyeama the coveted function of the workforce’s number one goalkeeper.
The then-Nigerian worldwide, together with the defensive quartet of Sidibé, Kjær, Basa, and Béria, in entrance of him, shaped an impenetrable wall that left opposing attackers pissed off.
11 unbeaten matches – A wall that stood tall
From September 15, 2013, to December 3, 2013, Enyeama saved clear sheets in 11 consecutive matches, thwarting the likes of Sochaux, Lyon, Monaco, and Marseille.
The streak got here to an finish on December 8, 2013, towards Bordeaux, however the impression lingered, solidifying his place in historical past.
Accolades and achievements
Throughout this extraordinary interval, Enyeama earned a number of accolades, together with the Participant of the Month Trophy for October and November, the Marc-Vivien Foé Prize for the most effective African participant in Ligue 1, and the title of the most effective goalkeeper of the 2013-2014 season.
LOSC completed the season in third place with the second-best defence in Ligue 1, conceding solely 26 objectives.
Legacy at LOSC
Vincent Enyeama’s tenure at LOSC spanned from October 26, 2011, to April 15, 2017, encompassing 164 matches and a powerful 65 clear sheets.
He emerged because the second most-used overseas goalkeeper within the membership’s historical past, trailing solely behind the Senegalese Tony Sylva.
As Lille reminisces about this historic achievement, Enyeama’s impression on the membership and his standing as one of many biggest goalkeepers in Ligue 1 historical past stay indelible.
