Enyeama as good as Buffon, Casillas – Ike Shorunmu

They hadn’t met each other until they were thrown into camp to vie for their places in Nigeria’s 23-man squad for the 2002 Korea/Japan World Cup.
Coach Adegboye Onigbinde, who replaced Shaibu Amodu after the World Cup ticket was already in the bag, had selected Ike  Shorunmu  alongside Vincent Enyeama and Austin Ejide as his goalkeepers  for the tournament.
At 35, Shorunmu, who was playing his trade in Switzerland with Lucerne, was deep into the
twilight of his career and was happy to share his experience with the two young keepers. Enyeama, who in the World Cup year won the CAF Champions League with Enyimba, was 20, while Ejide was 18.
But Shorunmu struck up a close relationship with Enyeama during the Super Eagles’ preparation for  the  football showpiece and the current Eagles goalkeeping coach says he is delighted to have had the opportunity to work with the France-based shot-stopper.
“He (Enyeama) was a good boy in camp. He was quiet,  highly disciplined and was always asking me questions (about goalkeeping),” the Ghana/Nigeria 2000 Africa Cup of Nations silver medallist told our correspondent on the telephone during the week.
 “Enyeama showed signs of the quality of goalkeeper he has become. He’s very good with  his feet and has great  reflexes.
“I’m not surprised by his success in the game. It’s his time and I’m very happy he’s proved himself in France. The sky’s the limit for him.”
Shorunmu was in goal in the 1-0 defeat to Argentina in the first group game of the World Cup  and in the 2-1 loss to Sweden in the second match, while Enyeama was in between the sticks in the last game against England, which ended 0-0.
With Shorunmu calling it quits with the national team after the World Cup, Enyeama became Nigeria’s first choice.
Enyeama  again won the 2003 CAF Champions League   with Enyimba and progressed to win bronze at the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia. He returned in 2006 to win bronze at the continental finals.
Enyeama lost his number one place in the national team in 2008 as German coach Berti Vogts preferred Ejide for a starting role at the Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana where Nigeria crashed out in the quarterfinals.
He  regained his place under Amodu and went on to man the posts for Nigeria at the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations in Angola, where the Eagles won bronze, and the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
His heroics at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa helped Nigeria win the title for the third time – 19 years after the Eagles won  the trophy at Tunisia’94. Nigeria lifted the trophy for the first time  on home soil in 1980.
Enyeama, who was the Eagles’ stand-in captain throughout the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, was one of the South Africa 2013 Africa Cup  of Nations winners who delivered glory to their clubs after winning  the tournament in Johannesburg on February 10.
The ex-Ibom Stars player, who led Hapoel Tel-Aviv to  the Israeli Premier League  title before the 2010 World Cup, helped Maccabi Tel-Aviv to the league crown after the Africa Cup of Nations triumph.
Others who were triumphant after South Africa 2013 are Braga defender Elderson Echiejile, Fenerbahce defender Joseph Yobo, Celtic defender   Efe Ambrose, CSKA Moscow winger Ahmed Musa,  Mikel Obi,  Victor Moses and Lazio midfielder Ogenyi Onazi.
Enyeama has been on top form since he rejoined French club Lille from his loan spell at  Maccabi Tel-Aviv.
The former Enyimba player  kept 11th consecutive clean sheets following Lille’s  1-0 defeat of  Marseille at Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Tuesday.
Enyeama last month  won the French Ligue 1 player of the month award for October, beating Paris Saint Germain stars Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani to clinch the periodic accolade for outstanding performance in the premier division.
Shorunmi is proud of the achievements of his former teammate and player, and has expressed his belief that Enyeama   has already proved himself to be on a par with the world’s best keepers.
“I don’t like making comparisons, but I would say Enyeama is at the same level as (Italy first choice keeper Gianluigi) Buffon and (Spain’s Iker)  Casillas,” the former Besiktas keeper said.
“He (Enyeama) is as good as Buffon and Casillas  – they are world-class keepers. They have won the World Cup and many club titles.
“The advantage they have over Enyeama is that they  are playing for big  clubs. Playing for a big club is a matter of being given the chance to prove yourself. Also, there is an element of luck.
“I remember when I got the chance to move from FC Zurich to  Turkey (Besiktas in 1999).  The move offered me the chance to showcase my talents on a bigger stage.
“I’m happy that Enyeama  is being linked with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City. It shows that he’s doing the right thing.”
Shorunmi  paid tribute to Enyeama  for getting through some tough times at the Eagles  and emerging as one of  Stephen Keshi’s key players in the Brazil 2014 World Cup-bound Eagles.
“Enyeama is doing a lot of work and has a lot concentration at the moment,” the ex-Enyimba and Heartland goalkeeping trainer said.
I’m happy he has learned from his mistakes and has become  a top keeper.
“He listens very carefully and accepts his mistakes. There were mistakes he made in the past and we talked about them.
“Without mistakes you can’t learn. I’m very happy that he has  humbled himself to learn from his mistakes.”
Shorunmu indicated that his former understudy still has many years to be in the saddle as he ruled out the invitation of new keepers to the national team in the near future.
Enyeama, Ejide and Enugu Rangers’ Chigozie Agbim  are the national team’s three keepers.
“We don’t have any problem with Enyeama,” the former Concord and Shooting Stars custodian said.
“He’s our best keeper, no doubt. Ejide and Agbim are keeping him on his toes and it is good for the country.
“Ejide is a top keeper. He proved himself in the friendly game against Italy in London. Agbim will also have his chance.
“If we invite more keepers to the national team, they will be there to learn from Enyeama and Ejide. They are reliable  keepers.”
Shorunmu regrets not winning a major trophy for the country during his playing days.
He was dropped from  the victorious Tunisia ’94 Africa Cup of Nations and the history making USA ’94 World Cup squads.
After booking his place in the squad for the 1998  World Cup, Shorunmu could not board the plane to France after he sustained an injury.
Serbian coach Bora Milutinovic had to settle for the trio of Peter Rufai, Willy Okpara and Abiodun Baruwa for the tournament.
“I was in the national team for a long time but I got my chance very late in my career because the country had very good keepers then,” Shorunmu, who was capped 36 times by Nigeria, said.
“Peter Rufai, Dvid Ngodigha,  Wilfred Agbonavbare and Aloy Agu were ahead of me.
“They  were great keepers and it was difficult breaking into the team then. That’s why I had a few opportunities.
“The situation is different now, and I think Enyeama is lucky he didn’t face the challenge I faced.”
He believes the Eagles will make an impact in the World Cup, given the quality of the players in the team.
“We should believe in our team,” the former Stationery Stores star, who hung up his gloves in 2006, said.
Shorunmu insists Nigeria can produce keepers for export, saying the country is “blessed with  talents”.
But he is not happy that the situation in the country has made things difficult for coaches.
“You might have good plans to have good keepers but you have to look at the situation in the country.
“You need a strong league. You need tall keepers. But for the moment it is a big challenge producing top keepers.”