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The African Champions in Brazil 2014

If all goes according to plan, Nigerian goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama will play in his third FIFA World Cup next month. He is fresh off winning the Marc-Vivien Foe award given to the best African player in France’s Ligue 1, and following up on his impressive performances for the Super Eagles at South Africa 2010, Enyeama has high expectations.

Although Nigeria have struggled in their last two World Cups, the Lille custodian tells FIFA.com that the African champions can make deep in-roads in Brazil after being drawn into Group F against Iran, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Argentina.

“I think we are going to make big progress,” Enyeama said. “We are focused on the World Cup, to make Africa the proudest continent. Ghana almost reached the semi-finals four years ago. We are going to achieve a better result and be the first African team to get to the semi-finals of the World Cup.”

The 31-year-old first played for Nigeria at Korea/Japan 2002, when coach Festus Onigbinde gave the then 19-year-old a starting place in their final group game against England, after the team had already been eliminated. Enyeama’s outstanding display helped the Super Eagles to a goalless draw and was a sign of things to come for the Kaduna-born goalkeeper, who took over the No1 jersey from Ike Shorunmu when the veteran retired shortly after that World Cup. Since then, Enyeama has been an ever-present for his country, shining at South Africa 2010 and last year’s FIFA Confederations Cup, and winning the CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2013 – a tournament the West Africans are hoping to defend in Morocco next year.

It will be the third time in a row that Nigeria will be facing Argentina at the World Cup, but more importantly for Enyeama, a match-up with France in the second round could be on the cards: “If we play against France, it will be interesting, but if we play against Switzerland, it will also be interesting. The important thing is to qualify.

“Playing France for a place in the last eight is not really what matters to me right now, I just want the team to make it to the second round. But maybe we will come out first, and then we will not have to play against France.”