Nigerian goalkeeping icon Vincent Enyeama is set to make a special return to the pitch after years of retirement. The former Super Eagles captain will take part in the Match des Héros, a charity exhibition match in France, aimed at raising awareness about the fight against school bullying.
The 42-year-old, widely celebrated for his time at Ligue 1 club Lille, will reunite with fellow Lille legend Ludovic Obraniak, as well as other former football stars including Daniel Van Buyten and Souleymane Diawara. The match is scheduled to take place on April 26 at the Stade de l’Épopée in Calais and is expected to attract a large crowd, even for a National 3 level game. Social media influencers will also join the event, adding extra excitement.
Ticket prices for the match are set at €10, with all proceeds going towards anti-bullying initiatives. Enyeama, who once went 1,062 minutes without conceding a goal during the 2013-14 Ligue 1 season, will be returning to the country where he came so close to breaking the all-time clean sheet record.
Enyeama’s remarkable career saw him join Lille in 2011 after stints with Hapoel Tel Aviv and Maccabi Tel Aviv. His time in France included a standout 2013-14 season with 11 consecutive clean sheets, but his Lille tenure ended in 2018 following a dispute with management. After a short attempt to return with Dijon in 2019, he officially retired in 2020.
A two-time CAF Champions League winner with Enyimba and the captain of Nigeria’s victorious 2013 AFCON squad, Enyeama earned 101 international caps, a record that was eventually surpassed by Ahmed Musa in 2021. Now, French fans have a chance to see the legend back in action, if only for a night.