Former Nigeria international Vincent Enyeama has expressed his willingness to make a comeback to the Super Eagles fold, but this time in a different role – as a goalkeeper coach.
The legendary goalkeeper, who is considered to be one of the greatest ever to don the national team jersey, revealed in a recent chat that was monitored on LagosTalks that he will never turn down a chance to work with the national team when the opportunity presents itself.
While acknowledging that he is yet to be certified as a goalkeeper coach, Enyeama drew parallels to the likes of Zinedine Zidane, who took on coaching roles without formal certification.
“Becoming a goalkeeper coach, first of all, I’m not yet certified. If they want me to be like Zidane, who was not yet certified, but Real Madrid had faith in him, it can happen,” he said.
“I don’t have a problem if they wake up tomorrow and say, Vincent, come and be part of the setup – I will gladly do it. I can never say no to my country, I have always said that. I can never say no to Nigeria,” said the former Lille of France stopper.
“I will bring my experience over the years in Europe, and we will do it. But they have to call me first. I will never say no to Nigeria.”
Enyeama with the Super Eagles as Nigeria coach
The 41-year-old, who recently lost his father, had shown his support for the current crop of Nigeria players during the last AFCON in Ivory Coast, where he visited the team, was probably his closest to the national team since he left controversially in 2015.
Enyeama, who boasts an impressive 101 appearances for Nigeria, retired from international football in 2015 following a disagreement with the then head coach, another ex-international Sunday Oliseh, and the football federation.
Despite what many dubbed as an early exit from the national team, Enyeama remains one of the most revered figures in the history of Nigerian football.
Enyeama was named in the 2002 FIFA World Cup squad in Korea and Japan as a cover for Ike Shorunmu after making his debut against Kenya in the same year.
He later went to two World Cups in 2010 and 2014 and helped the Super Eagles to third-place finishes in the 2004, 2006, and 2010 Africa Cup of Nations tournaments before captaining the side to victory in the 2013 edition held in South Africa.
On March 26, 2015, Enyeama won his 100th cap for Nigeria in a 1–0 loss to Uganda in an international friendly played in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state and later retired from international football on October 8 2015.
Enyeama's potential return to the Super Eagles setup, albeit in a coaching capacity, has stirred some excitement, and with the recent departure of Nuno Carrapato, the goalkeeper coach at the last Africa Cup of Nations, there is a vacancy in the coaching setup since the exit of Jose Peseiro and his backroom staff at the end of February.
However, competition for the position of the national team goalkeeping coaching role remains stiff, with seasoned names like Ike Shorunmu and Abiodun Baruwa also fit for the role.
