NIGERIA:Enyeama not thinking of World Cup yet

Sammy Wejinya
Nigeria international
goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama
insists he’s not thinking of
the 2014 Fifa World Cup
finals just yet.
The 31-year-old says he is instead focusing
on ending a memorable season with French
club Lille OSC on a high.
Enyeama has played every minute of Lille’s
32 league games this season and his
impressive form between the sticks has seen
the Mastiffs punching above their weight in
Ligue 1 this term.
The top three teams at the end of the season
in the Ligue 1 standings qualify for the
Champions League with the fourth-place
team taking the Europa League spot.
Lille currently sit in third place on the league
standings with 60 points from 32 games, five
points clear of fourth-placed St Etienne with
just six rounds of matches still to navigate.
Enyeama knows Lille are within striking
range of the big prize - a Champions League
place - but says he will be keeping his feet
firmly on the ground.
“(I am) fighting for a place in the Champions
League (with) Lille,” he stated.
He added that the priority for him and his
teammates at the Super Eagles is their
respective clubs as they are not thinking too
far ahead to the 2014 World Cup, which is
just over two months away.
He added that they are instead trying to help
their domestic clubs finish the season on a
high.
(Other Super Eagles’ stars) are fighting to
get into the Champions League, others are
fighting for the Europa League positions and
some very good players are even fighting
against relegation with their clubs.
“So for many of us, we don’t want to discuss
the World Cup at the moment, what we want
is a good placing for our club sides and then
we can shift focus to the World Cup.
“If my club gets a Champions League spot
for instance, it will help me focus properly
for the World Cup and I know Nigeria will do
well, trust me,” he said.
Nigeria’s preparations for the World Cup
haven’t exactly been plain sailing with the
Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) seemingly
at loggerheads with national team coach,
Stephen Keshi.
Keshi was issued a query by the NFF recently
after the coach reportedly refused to attend a
meeting of the Federation’s technical
committee.
Enyeama says the players have been
following the recent events and struggled to
sound diplomatic about the situation.
“We read a lot about happenings in Nigeria,
which most times are not palatable but we
are the African champions.
“We must let ourselves enjoy the moment
while it lasts so that we can take a very
determined spirit to the World Cup and I trust
the NFF people will listen and help
concentrate on better preparation for the
World Cup.
“In essence we don’t want to hear any story
of disagreement in the football family,
please,” he concluded.
Enyeama earned his first Super Eagles cap in
2002 and has since gone on to represent
Nigeria 88 times at senior level.
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