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The International Federation of Football History and Statistics has named Vincent Enyeama as the greatest African goalkeeper of all time.
Enyeama was selected based on his outstanding performances for club and country during a career that spanned over a decade.
Enyeama played for several clubs, including Enyimba, Bnei Yehuda, Hapoel Tel Aviv and Lille, among others.
He also represented Nigeria in three World Cup tournaments (2002, 2010 and 2014) and played a crucial role in the team’s victory in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.
The IFFHS, a non-profit organisation based in Germany, ranks the performance of footballers and coaches worldwide.
Enyeama’s selection as the best African goalkeeper of all time puts him ahead of other legendary goalkeepers from the continent, including compatriot Peter Rufai, Joseph-Antoine Bell and Thomas N’Kono (Cameroon), Badou Zaki (Morocco), Alain Gouamene (Ivory Coast), Essam El-Hadary (Egypt) and Itumeleng Khune (South Africa).
Enyeama’s remarkable career as a goalkeeper is backed by his 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 2013/14 season. He also holds the record for the most clean sheets in a season in the French topflight, with 21 shutouts in 2013/14.
The former shot-stopper is often regarded as Nigeria’s greatest goalkeeper and is considered by many as Lille’s finest of all time.
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.