Enyeama scores in Champs League 

Enyeama celebrates scoring from the penalty spot to put his side on the way to a 3-2 win [AFP] 

Nigeria keeper Vincent Enyeama scored a penalty as Hapoel Tel Aviv won 3-2 at Salzburg in their European Champions League playoff first leg while Werder Bremen produced three quickfire strikes to beat Sampdoria 3-1.

Moldovan champions Sheriff Tiraspol, bidding to make the group stages for the first time, lost 1-0 at Swiss club Basel and Portugal's Braga, also yet to qualify for the first round proper, beat Sevilla by the same scoreline.

Anderlecht drew 2-2 at Partizan Belgrade, the only Serbian club to have played in the group stages, in Wednesday's other tie.

Enyeama gave one of the best goalkeeping performances at the 2010 World Cup when he restricted Argentina to a 1-0 win over Nigeria in the first round, repeatedly foiling dangerman Lionel Messi.

On Wednesday he showed a different side to his game as he calmly converted a third-minute penalty for the Israeli league champions in the less glamorous surroundings of Salzburg's half-empty stadium.

Salzburg, Austria's biggest-spending club but foiled in their last three attempts to reach the group stages, levelled with a long-range Nikola Pokrivac shot in the 28th minute.

Ben Sahar and Itay Shechter netted either side of half time for Hapoel before Roman Wallner pulled one back for the hosts with a 66th-minute penalty.

http://english.aljazeera.net/sport/2010/08/20108197191127793.html

Enyeama is one of the highest goal scoring goalkeepers that plays professional football, I learnt that he has scored about 20 goals in top football. He also performed brilliantly well in the 2010 World Cup held in South Africa.

This man just continues to prove himself as an outstanding player in Isreal. I hope they make it into the champs league finally and he shines big time against the big guns.

I heard some commentators say that he scored a career 20 goals, could this be true and why are big clubs not signing him on?

Watch Enyeama score against Afolabi's team in one of the Champion's league qualifiers.

[flash=500,400]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0t8O8GSWu24?fs=1&hl=en_GB[/flash]

This guy is certainly carrying Nigeria's flag high.

i am really happy for vincent as he has been representing in all fronts.
may our good lord continue to bless him and let him grow from strenght to strenght.

I heard some commentators say that he scored a career 20 goals, could this be true and why are big clubs not signing him on?

@OLAADEGBU,
since when has scoring goals become the pre-requisite for big clubs to sign goalkeepers?

chidichris:

i am really happy for vincent as he has been representing in all fronts.
may our good lord continue to bless him and let him grow from strenght to strenght.

@OLAADEGBU,
since when has scoring goals become the pre-requisite for big clubs to sign goalkeepers?

Vincent Enyeama was one of the stars for his shot stopping heroics at the just concluded world cup and to top that up he score goals. Imagine what trust the whole team placed on him to take that penalty kick when they had 10 outfield players to choose from. I learnt that Avram Grant of West Ham was interested in him but I don't know how far the negotiations have gone.

that was a nice kick

I watched this match yesterday and I must say Im happy for Hapoel and Enyeama and I hope they consolidate the away results next week in Israel. It will be great to see them (him) in the group stages. They really do have a good team.

Enyeama wasn't really tested yesterday though. However Im glad that the crosses that came into his box was properly dealt with. Its been long since Naija had a goalkeeper who could confidently deal with crosses. Even the legendary Rufai had issues with crosses.

With Enyeama in goal Hapoel aviv stands a good chance of progressing to playing in the group stages of the Champion league and that will give him the opportunity to showcase his talents (goalkeeping and scoring) in Europe.