🇳🇬NigeriaWest Africa
Vincent Enyeama's World Cup record remains Africa's best
via Punch Nigeria11 min read
Despite remarkable goalkeeping performances at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, former Super Eagles captain Vincent Enyeama's achievements at the tournament are still considered unmatched among African goalkeepers. His legacy was highlighted after Curaçao's Eloy Room made 15 saves against Ecuador, surpassing Peru's Ramón Quiroga's 1978 record of 13 saves in a single match. While Ghana's Richard Kingson holds the African single-match record with nine saves in 2006, Enyeama's sustained excellence across tournaments sets him apart. In the 2010 World Cup, Enyeama delivered a standout performance against Argentina, making six saves, four of which were against Lionel Messi, earning him Man of the Match honors despite a 1-0 loss. He continued this form in the 2014 World Cup, making 21 saves across four matches and securing clean sheets against Iran and Bosnia-Herzegovina, helping Nigeria reach the round of 16. Only Kingson's 22 saves in 2010 surpass Enyeama's total for an African goalkeeper in a single World Cup. Other notable African goalkeepers like Morocco's Yassine Bounou, Cameroon's Thomas N’Kono, and Senegal's Tony Sylva have not matched Enyeama's consistency over multiple tournaments. The article also mentions current impressive performances from Cape Verde's Josimar Dias and the United States' Matt Freese, but concludes that Enyeama's World Cup legacy continues to be the benchmark for African football.
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