Nigerian goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama, has revealed how he stopped Lionel Messi from scoring in Saturday's match. The Super Eagles lost 1-0, but a brilliant performance from Enyeama, which saw him deny the Barcelona’s star a number of scoring chances earned him the man of the match accolade.

"I have been watching a lot of Messi's games in the Spanish La Liga and I have been studying the way he beats the keepers with some curling shots, so I knew what I had to do to stop him,"revealed Enyeama.

"I think I watched almost 20 games of him playing in the Spanish league and I knew what I needed to do to stop him, that's why each time he tried to beat me, I knew which direction he was going to hit the ball and how he was going to do it.

"So, for me, studying almost 20 games played by Messi helped me a lot.
"I just feel wonderful with the way I played , but I feel horrible because we lost. I wish Messi had come to talk afterwards, but he is the best player in the world and he wouldn't come to the player he doesn't know to congratulate him," quipped the 27-year-old.

"I believe in God a lot and that was definitely God's doing. He was the defence for me today. God is my secret.
"I will say this was the best game I have ever played in my career, because I stopped one of the best players in the world," added the Hapoel Tel Aviv’s keeper.

Super Eagles’ striker, Obafemi Martins, was full of praises for Enyeama and attributed the 1-0 scoreline to the keeper's efforts. "We are not happy we lost and it is not the end of the World Cup, but Vincent is an awesome goalkeeper. We could have been in trouble if it was not for him," Martins stressed.

Enyeama make you no brag o! You just had a great day.

na jazz jo! how person go watch 20 games, when u no be coach, lol.

but seriously na dat guy save nigeria bombom, e for don b for us.

why he no go brag. . . if the other players played half a well as him we for no lose.  Enyeama pls brag on, nothing do you!!

20 videos or not, Enyeama was simply magical. Had it not been for his vigilance, the scores could easily have been 5 - 0 against Nigeria.  

@9ijaprince, you got it thereI I think hejust had a great day. He's not better than Iker Casillas that Messi rapes in each El-classico.

he stood his ground whenever messi approaches.

omo see mouth making

Re-affirms the saying: Practice makes perfect

he was so good on the day. Even the goal let in was not his fault. Our strikers were not as focused as he was, the scoreline woulda been a different fishpie.

Jackelony:

@9ijaprince, you got it thereI I think hejust had a great day. He's not better than Iker Casillas that Messi despoils in each El-classico.

odiaero:

omo see mouth making

Why kan`t u guys allow d guy celebrate such a feat, How many Messi shots has Iker Casillas ever stopped? Stoping 5 shots from 1 player in a single match is a great feat.Let d guy enjoy his victory, i believe after d world cup his going 2 a bigger club, Am so happy 4 him, Stuck wit Enyimba all d while b4 jettin to Israel, Patience nd hardwork wit little grace pays,

He had a great day? Just like he had in nations cup?

He has earned himself the bragging right so let him brag. He has been consistent so this is not a Mannone phenomenon.

Why can't he brag or celebrate. He had a good performance and is worthy of praise.
He saved us and did what Almunia of Arsenal couldnt do against Messi in the Champions League.
The goals Messi tried to score against Enyeama were similer to the goals he actually scored against Almunia.
Let's hope Enyeame keeps his focus and continues to shine ,

I am happy for him.
messi has made him popular and the whole world is talking about him.
he is a lucky chap!only few goalie could be that lucky against mercylessy messi.

That's a show of good battle tactics. You study your opponent.

djcrucifix:

na jazz jo! how person go watch 20 games, when u no be coach

 lol

agabaI23:

He had a great day? Just like he had in nations cup?

He has earned himself the bragging right so let him brag. He has been consistent so this is not a Mannone phenomenon.

funny nigerians sha na true my brother because from that nations cup i always tell people if we are to play with england or spain in penalty with vincent keeping omo we don win

ogazi007:

I am happy for him.
messi has made him popular and the whole world is talking about him.
he is a lucky chap!only few goalie could be that lucky against mercylessy messi.  

abeg may we hear word

NIGERIANS AND THEIR BAD BELLEH, YOU WILL NEVEER APPRECIATE YOUR BROTHER, SOME OF INA NO EVEN BELIV SAY ANY BETTER THING FIT COME FROM 9JA, HABAAA, AFTER SHOUTING THAT WE WILL BE DISGRACED BY THE ARGENTINES, THEY TURNED OUT WINNING US BY MISTAKE,
INSTEAD OF YOU GUYS TO APPRECIATE OUR SUPER EAGLES, INA DEY HERE DEY TALK TRASH, ENYEAMA  WAS AWESOME INFACT HE WAS SPLENDID

in, yamaaa (smell smell) just be glad you got great higl-light reels that your agent will use to market you out of Israel to well paying leagues in Europe  

For your sakes I pray you have watched 20 videos of the Greeks because they do not play curling shots and the jumba jumba ball fit pass your kolo disgrace you finish. just pray  

Omo free Enyeama o. He did well deserves to flaunt it the way he likes. To stop Messi is not an easy task o.

@jackelony u no even sabi analyse football sef, y u dey reason with the left side of your brain?  

u dey compare him (Enyeama) with Cassilas, then make u know say it's a shame to Cassilas if he has played several
matches against Messi and stil Messi always score him, than Enyeama wey just play against Messi 4 D 1st time.
truely if u ask me, i'll say yes he really studied messi b'cos, if messi carry ball dey come from right wing, na that left side angle naim him go place the ball. go watch all his matches, u go see say na true but that doesn't mean his not a world
class player tho, he's really a good and skillful player but Enyeama studied him very well so leavam make'em talk.
afterall, telling someone your success is not proudness but sharing his expirience to u, daz all. ROGGER THAT PLS!
And even if u call that proudness, i think he deserves it, why? . . .let me give u reason for that. . .
Cassilas is more better than Enyeama as u said, and a world class keeper. Enyeama as u underate is not a world
class keeper but stopped D world class player from scoring even 'a' goal, something D world class keeper cannot do.
is that not worth to be proud of?  

Enyeama has been stopping so many one-on-ones that here in Naija we know that is his what he is very good at, he makes mistakes in rushing out for balls especially corners and free kicks, but leave him with a striker alone and he gives a good account of himself, not always but good enough to be brilliant at it. He is far better than Almunia. Iker Casillas has a very good defence to bank on, but he had never had a day like this, so let enyeama brag, he is good enough to do it,


And come to think of it, he was not bragging at all, he only stated what he did and also how God helped him.

pls leave the guy alone. read what he said himself and not how the papers reported it.

he is not bragging and has already thanked God for it. he's simply telling us that one needs to do his homework in everything in life. 20 games does not mean he watched 20 90mins games. simply he must watched the clips (summaries) of Messi's games. its not too much.

Even me wey no be coach but interested in the game and thinking on the formation we should play, watched on youtube at least 7 clips of games played by argentina in recent times and repeatedly their game against germany.

Thumbs up Enyeama but we still got no point

Hope Assnal Wenger watched the match.

@whoever said Enyema brags is nothing but a FOOL, the guy stop world best, u say make him no talk him experience, I for write a book on that, if i be am make other goal keepers take study.

Good bless the guy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have not seen a lot of people talking about it but the Argentines cheated to get the goal. While they deserve the win over Nigeria because they played better, but that goal could have been ruled out for a free-kick in the 18 yard-box against them, Ogbuke Obasi was clearly going to tackle heinze when he saw the ball going to him, but he was held and wrestled by an Argentine player. This should have counted as a foul against them.

For decades the Argentines have been a formidable force in football and a good side, but for me if they can't win fairly they always resort to dirty tricks and malicious tackles. This is what i love the brazilians for, you can win them fairly if you are good, but the Argentines hardly give you a fair game if you are winning them.

What's frustrating about this for the supporters and Enyeama himself, was the fact that his buffoon teammates didn't show the same level of desire

and will power to win last night.what's the motivation to make world class saves if the team will still lose in the end.

Enyeama is a good learner, tactitian.I watched the match i must say he was [b]fantastically[/b]great. If not for him mr goodluck woulda placed a curse on the s.Eagles nigeria spent so much on

Enyeama is a good learner, tactitian.I watched the match i must say he was [b]fantastically[/b]great. If not for him mr goodluck woulda placed a curse on the s.Eagles nigeria spent so much on

Double N:

Hope Assnal Wenger watched the match.

No mind d assnal wenger, went to d israeli club and was pricing d guy less dan d 2million dollars price tag, Now if he nears him again,im go pay notin less than 5million dollars,

i have realized that every treatment meted out to nigerian abraod is because of the way we sell out ourselves,just look at how some stupid people who cannot achieve half of what this guys have achieved sit that and are keyboard happy ,exibiting thier senseless worth,that is why we have the kind of leaders we have because they dont see any good in us afterall we dont even see any good in ourselves,i have heard great comments made about enyeama internationally and what senseless ingrates say on this blog doesnt matter,keep fooling

Enyeama did a brilliant job whether we all like it or not. Shame to all the haters and bad belle people