Nigeria’s Vincent Enyeama named greatest African goalkeeper of all time by IFFHS

Former Super Eagles captain of Nigeria, Vincent Enyeama has been named the Greatest African Goalkeeper of All-time by The International Federation of Football History and Statistics – IFFHS.

Enyeama’s exceptional performances for both his club and country during his career, which lasted over a decade, led to his selection.

He played for multiple clubs such as Enyimba International, Bnei Yehuda, Hapoel Tel Aviv, and Lille, and was a crucial player in Nigeria’s victory in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.

Enyeama’s selection as the best African goalkeeper of all time by the IFFHS places him above other legendary goalkeepers from the continent like Joseph-Antoine Bell, Thomas N’Kono, and Essam El-Hadary.

He has won numerous individual awards, including being named the best goalkeeper in the Israeli Premier League three times and the best goalkeeper in Ligue 1 in the 2013-2014 season.

Enyeama holds the record for the most clean sheets in a season in the French top flight, with 21 shutouts in 2013-2014.

He is widely considered Nigeria’s greatest goalkeeper ever and is often regarded as Lille’s finest of all time.

Vincent Enyeama undoubtedly one of #Nigeria’s greatest to have NOT won the African footballer of the year award... pic.twitter.com/xxBg5cA3a1

— Oluwashina Okeleji (@oluwashina) December 19, 2020

Enyeama’s achievement is a significant recognition of the talents and contributions of African players to the beautiful game of football.

It is also a reminder of the importance of acknowledging the accomplishments of footballers beyond the major leagues in Europe and South America.

The IFFHS All-Time Ranking, which covers the period from 1987 to 2022, also includes the best goalkeepers from other regions, such as Gianluigi Buffon (Italy) for UEFA, Jose Luis Chilavert (Paraguay) for CONMEBOL, Mohamed Abdullaziz Al-Deayea (Saudi Arabia) for AFC, Keylor Navas (Costa Rica) for CONCACAF, and Mark Bosnich (Australia) for Oceania.