One moment of nerveless skill showed just how supremely bereft of nerves Ikechukwu Ezenwa was on his first senior A start for Nigeria in their World Cup qualifying thrashing of Cameroon on Friday.
At one point, Cameroon forward Vincent Aboubakar bore down ominously towards Ezenwa with the ball at his feet. The goalkeeper dropped a shoulder. Aboubakar went one way, Ezenwa and the ball went another…and a collective gasp ripped across the stands.
One fan in the VIP section was already on his feet cursing the debutant’s misjudgement, but the FC Ifeanyi Ubah man knew exactly what he was doing, and his very next move was to clear his lines and end the visitors’ threat.
The distribution wasn’t quite perfect, but it was a moment that summed up the consummate ease with which the stopper had taken to the international arena…and in such a high-pressure fixture.
“I think I saw the other striker coming and I just wanted to get the ball out to our guys quickly,” Ezenwa told KweseESPN. “I saw [Aboubakar] coming, and it occurred to me that if I played the ball immediately, he would block it, so I just had to shift the ball away from him.”
In truth, Ezenwa was not tested much.
A poor Cameroon side barely managed two shots on target, but when he was called up – primarily for crosses and corners – he dealt with the danger impeccably.
For a keeper whose frame is not the most intimidating, Ezenwa was not at all overwhelmed by the occasion. His ball handling was strong and assured, and he only spilled one ball all game — even that was called as foul in his favour.
It looked ominous at the start. In what looked a nervy opening for Nigeria, Balogun’s short back header almost might for a nightmarish start as Aboubakar smelled blood, but Ezenwa read the danger, sprung off his line, and snuffed out the threat.
The new Nigeria goalkeeper grew in confidence from there, leaping to claim Cameroon’s corner kicks, and was quick to get off his line to smother when the beleaguered visitors thought they might have had a sight of goal.
Only twice did Ezenwa appear in any kind of trouble; first when he was called upon to beat away Collins Fai’s deceptive effort, and then when he was beaten at a corner and required roommate Ogenyi Onazi to clear off the line.
Carl Ikeme’s unfortunate leukaemia diagnosis and Daniel Akpeyi’s underwhelming performance against South Africa and subsequent injury had combined to thrust Ezenwa into the frontline, but Gernot Rohr had no hesitation naming him as the first player in his starting eleven.
The goalkeeper took the opportunity with both hands, but insisted that Friday’s victory was very much a collective triumph.
“It was team effort,” he continued. “The guys in front of me did a great job and as a goalkeeper, it is easier when you have good players in front of you.”
Ezenwa also paid tribute to Ikeme and former captain Vincent Enyeama, who’s potential return to the national side was one of the pre-match talking points.
“Ikeme is my big brother and I have learnt a lot from him. We have been chatting and he wished me good luck and gave me a few tips,” Ezenwa concluded. “I have learnt a lot from him and from Vincent too.
“They helped me a lot.”
At 28, Ezenwa might not have the potential to be Nigeria’s next goalkeeping great, but for now, he’s stepped into the breach, demonstrated his qualities in a victory that will be remembered for many years, and, with the World Cup less than a year away, appears well placed to represent the Eagles in Russia.
