For Super Eagles goal-tender, Vincent Enyeama, it has been a season of near-misses when it comes to awards.
After missing out on the selection that leads to the crowning of the Top Goalkeeper of the Year Award, he has also failed to clinch the prestigious BBC African Footballer of the Year award.
Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha was the last Nigerian to win the award. The master dribbler won it twice (2003 and 2004), following the steps of Nwankwo Kanu who won it in 1997 and 1999. The first Nigerian to win it was Emmanuel Amuneke in 1996.
The former Enyimba International FC of Aba safe-hands, Enyeama almost set a new clean sheet record in Europe last season. He was also fantastic for the Super Eagles at the World Cup.
Iker Casillas and Claudio Bravo were nominated ahead of Enyeama as goalkeeping representatives for this year’s FIFA FIFPro World XI.
Bravo is being recognised for the first time following his impressive performances for Chile at this year’s World Cup.
On the grounds of his contribution to Atletico Madrid’s Liga triumph and run to the Champions League final last season, Thibaut Courtois is also selected.
Juventus and Italy custodian, Gianluigi Buffon, and last year’s winner, Manuel Neuer, complete the five-man shortlist.
From the five keepers, one will be selected to make the FIFA FIFPro World XI for 2014, which will be determined by a vote among players.
Last Monday, December 1, Algerian winger, Brahimi Yacine, was voted by fans as the BBC African Footballer of the Year.
After a record number of votes were submitted from fans in 207 FIFA-registered countries, Yacine came out tops ahead of Enyeama, Gabonese Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ivorian pair, Gervinho and Yaya Toure. Toure won the award last year.
The Lille of France goal-tender was expected to take after Okocha who won the 2004 edition.
Enyeama’s speculative form for both country and club in the outgoing year was expected to sway the fans who voted in his favour, but that was never to be; thus making it the second failed attempt for the Nigerian to win an award in the outgoing year.
Meanwhile, there is still hope for him, as he has been nominated alongside fellow country man, Ahmed Musa, in the top five list of players for the 2014 Glo-CAF African Footballer of the Year Awards. Both were shortlisted from a list of 25 players who were earlier nominated for the awards.
The remaining three players listed for the continent’s most prestigious football award are Asamoah Gyan of Ghana and Al-Ain in the United Arab Emirates (UAE); Gabonese, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, currently playing for Borussia Dortmund in Germany; and the reigning African Footballer of the Year and Manchester City midfielder, Yaya Toure, from Cote d’Ivoire.
The Glo-CAF African Football of the Year Awards will take place in Lagos on January 8, 2015.
However, football pundits are of the view that his failure to be nominated among the top five goalkeepers in the La Liga, his loss of the BBC award, and his inability to help Nigeria qualify for the African Nations Cup in Equatorial Guinea next year may also affect his chances of winning the Glo-CAF award.
“It will be difficult for him to win, especially after missing the BBC award. But let’s wait till the end of voting and hear the verdict,” said ex-international, Taiwo Oloyede.
For former Team Manager of the defunct Julius Berger FC of Lagos, Mactony Taiwo, it is 50:50 chance for Enyeama, a the BBC award is not a criterion in clinching the CAF award.
He said: “He still has a chance to win the Glo-CAF award, irrespective of the fact that he missed the BBC award.
“You will remember that in 2004 when Okocha won the BBC award, he failed to emerge as the Glo-CAF award winner.
“So who says that Enyeama can still not win the award? He still has a chance, and let us keep our fingers crossed until the end.”
President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick, has declared that none of the other players on the list has done.
“If we look critically at the list, it would be difficult to see any player who has done more for club and country in the outgoing year than Enyeama and Musa.
“Both were in fabulous forms for their clubs (Enyeama with Lille OSC of France and Musa with CSKA Moscow of Russia) during the year, and also played brilliant roles as the Super Eagles reached the Round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup finals in Brazil.
“I have immense respect for most of the players listed, particularly Toure and Gyan. Yet, the exploits of Enyeama and Musa in the outgoing year have been exceptional. Either of them deserves the award,” said he.
Rashidi Yekini (of blessed memory; 1993), Emmanuel Amuneke (1994), Nwankwo Kanu (1996 and 1999) and Victor Ikpeba (1997) are the only Nigerian players to have won Africa’s best footballer’s prize.
