Legendary Nigerian goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama reflects on a memorable encounter with Lionel Messi during the 2014 World Cup clash between Nigeria and Argentina in Brazil.
The ex-Lille goalkeeper encountered Messi twice in World Cup competitions, first in the 2010 edition in South Africa and again in 2014. While Enyeama successfully prevented Messi from scoring in 2010, he couldn’t replicate the feat four years later.
In the 2014 match, Super Eagles’ Ahmed Musa netted a brace after Messi scored twice, overturning Argentina’s initial two-goal lead. A late goal from former Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo secured the South American team’s victory over the three-time African champions.
A memorable moment from the game was captured in a photo featuring Enyeama and the Barcelona legend. In an interview with newsmen, the former Enyimba goalkeeper revealed the details of his interaction with the Argentine star during the match.
“Nothing much, he speaks Spanish, and I speak English. Real meets real. I didn’t understand him, and I bet he didn’t understand me too. It was just a mutual football language, mutual football respect,” Vincent Enyeama told Sports Brief.