Posted: Jun 08, 2012
Super Eagles first choice goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama is confident that Nigeria will pick maximum points in Blantyre on Saturday. He spoke with BAMIDELE BOLUWAJI
The Super Eagles managed to score only one goal against Namibia last Sunday, as the captain of the team, how do you feel?
I feel good and happy that we won. It was not an easy game but we have to thank God that we picked the maximum points from the match. We all worked very hard and you can even see the standard of play. But like I said, we are happy that we won because if that match had ended in a draw, it would have been very funny, but we can build on this result to do better in the other games.
Did you feel any pressure as the captain of the team?
No, not at all; I am not new in the game of football, even when we were in South Africa for the World Cup, I was not under pressure facing some super-stars. But as a Nigerian and a member of the team, I wished we could convert all the chances that came our way, and when we eventually scored the goal, we were all happy and that is the game of football.
Can you tell us what was going on in your mind when Ike Uche was missing those scoring chances against Namibia?
As a Christian, I was praying seriously but I did not lose hope at all because I told God before the match that He should help us to win, and I know that I have a God that can always answer my prayers.
The Super Eagles managed to score only one goal against Namibia last Sunday, as the captain of the team, how do you feel?
I feel good and happy that we won. It was not an easy game but we have to thank God that we picked the maximum points from the match. We all worked very hard and you can even see the standard of play. But like I said, we are happy that we won because if that match had ended in a draw, it would have been very funny, but we can build on this result to do better in the other games.
Did you feel any pressure as the captain of the team?
No, not at all; I am not new in the game of football, even when we were in South Africa for the World Cup, I was not under pressure facing some super-stars. But as a Nigerian and a member of the team, I wished we could convert all the chances that came our way, and when we eventually scored the goal, we were all happy and that is the game of football.
Can you tell us what was going on in your mind when Ike Uche was missing those scoring chances against Namibia?
As a Christian, I was praying seriously but I did not lose hope at all because I told God before the match that He should help us to win, and I know that I have a God that can always answer my prayers.
So I was expecting the goal to come and as God will have it, it came and that was how we won. The goal we scored or those that we did not score is not even the issue now, the most important thing is that we did not find ourselves in a difficult situation after the match because it almost happened.
Nigerians were not happy with the so many scoring chances the team missed in that match, do you think the Super Eagles have what it takes to qualify Nigeria for the World Cup in Brazil with such kind of display?
Well, nobody was happy with that but we need to learn how to be grateful to God because if we had lost that match or played a draw, what would they have been saying? It would have been a bad situation but we were still able to win. If we did not score as many goals as they expected in that match, we could do that in the next game because everybody in the team must have learnt from the mistakes we made. All I just want to say is that Nigerians should be patient and continue to give us their support.
We are well determined to see Nigeria qualify for the 2014 World Cup and we will do our very best.
Would you say the responsibility you carried in that match was too heavy for you?
No, there is nothing special in being a captain of a team, what it means is that there should be somebody organizing other players or passing information on who among the opponents should be well marked or the next thing to do to improve the quality of our performance. It was a nice moment anyway and a good experience as well.
Don’t you think the slim 1-0 win will affect the team's performance when you face Malawi on Saturday?
I don’t think so because the coaches saw how the match went and they have promised to come up with a better strategy in the next game so that we will not have the same problem we had against Namibia. We the players have also realized that we need to step up our game so that we can do better.
Now that you are going to play Malawi in the next game of the World Cup qualifier, what should Nigerians be expecting from the team?
Nigerians should be expecting nothing short of victory from us, and they should also remember that they have to pray for us because we are doing it together. We all have to be in one spirit to be able to achieve a positive result otherwise, it could be more difficult. But I can tell you that we are ready to go there and win the match because it is very important to us as players. So we have no option than to go there and win.
Are you foreseeing an easy game in Blantyre?
No, no match will be easy but we need to approach every match with a positive mind that we are going to win and that will also force us to go extra miles. So that match is not going to be easy at all just as we had it against Namibia, but we will work really hard to make sure that we win. Away points are more valuable than home win and that is why we are going to Blantyre well prepared to win the match. I know that they will prove stubborn but we will not allow their stubbornness to stop us from beating them at home.
What do you think the Super Eagles must avoid in the match?
We must avoid distraction and make sure we did not concede any goal in the match. We have to be well focused and take our chances when they come so that we will not find ourselves in a situation where we will have to struggle to equalize or lose the points entirely. We have worked on that and I am sure that we are going to have a better game in Malawi. We must also avoid underrating the host team because there is no easy team anywhere in the world any more. We just have to go there like soldiers going to war.
Do you have any fear in your mind that there could be an upset in the game?
I have no fear in my mind because we have prepared very well, and we are going there to pick the maximum points. I have told you all we need to do to win and we are going to do that. A team that is underrated can spring a surprise, but we are not going to allow that to happen to us.
You have missed some games since coach Stephen Keshi came on board, how do you feel?
I did not feel anyhow, we all know what the coaches are doing and when you are rebuilding, the coaches will need to test many players to be able to achieve their aims. So, I have no ill feelings about that. I was not there for those matches but today, I am there. The question is: what can I contribute when I am there? I need to give my best to help the team so that we can all be happy that our country is doing well.
Do you think the coaches are on the right tracks in their rebuilding process?
Yes, they are on the right tracks, and I am happy to see the talents that are coming from the local league, and I will like to advise that we should not use the results of the friendly games played so far to judge them. They are gradually coming up and with time, we will see what they can contribute. The coaches are doing their best and we all need to support them.
Let's talk about your club, why is the coach not using you in games?
Well, I don’t know but he is the coach and he determines who he wants in a game, I am still their player and I am hoping that very soon, he will give me the opportunity I need to play. But I have nothing personal against him and I am happy to be their player.
Finally, how soon do we expect to see you playing for the club?
I strongly believe that my time will soon come and when it comes, Nigerians will see me playing regularly.
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