Super Eagles and Lille legend Vincent Enyeama set to receive honorary doctorate award from University of Uyo

Former Super Eagles captain Vincent Enyeama has been selected as one of the esteemed personalities to receive an honorary doctorate award from the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Soccernet.ng reports.

The university is set to confer this honour upon Enyeama during its upcoming 26th, 27th, and 28th convocation ceremonies.

Enyeama will join the wife of the former minister of defence, Senator Daisy Theophilus Danjuma, and the former vice chairman of ExxonMobil, Mr Udom Inoyo in receiving the awards. 

The former Lille star retired from active football in 2018 and has been invested in his private enterprise since. 

Enyeama’s exceptional career as a goalkeeper spanned nearly two decades, during which he showcased his talents in various clubs, including Ibom Stars, Enyimba, Iwuanyanwu Nationale, Bnei Yehuda, Hapoel Tel Aviv, Lille, and Maccabi Tel Aviv.

His noteworthy contributions to the Nigerian national team from 2002 until his retirement in 2015 include helping the Super Eagles win the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa – the country’s third and most recent continental triumph.

With an impressive 101 caps, Enyeama held the title of Nigeria’s most-capped player until November 2021, when Ahmed Musa surpassed him. 

Acknowledged for his exceptional shot-stopping skills, composure between the goalposts, and unalloyed dedication, Enyeama garnered numerous accolades throughout his career, including the Prix Marc-Vivien Foé in the 2013-2014 season, the Goalkeeper of the Year at the Nigeria Pitch Awards in 2013 and 2014.

Notably, the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) honored him as the Greatest African Goalkeeper of All Time in March 2023.