Enyeama, Emenike Arrive for Yobo Testimonial

• Ideye rues missing the Garden City game

Nigeria’s ex-internationals, Vincent Enyeama and Emmanuel Emenike, have arrived the country for the Joseph Yobo Testimonial game slated for Port Harcourt on Friday, May 27. The Joseph Yobo Foundation is in partnership with Rivers State Government for the Centenary Game.

The two players who were both at the World Cup in Brazil with Yobo as captain of the Super Eagles, arrived the country at the weekend after a long season in Europe.

They both announced their readiness to honour Yobo who remains the first Nigeria’s senior national team player to achieve 100 caps.

 

Enyeama and Yobo are close friends. Yobo forged good relationship with the Lille of France safe hands when they both played for the Eagles, with the former Everton defender playing Enyeama’s best man role at his wedding in 2006.

Another Nigerian player recalled to the Eagles, Brown Ideye has said he would have wished to feature in Friday’s Yobo Testimonial, but for the fact he has been recalled by the Super Eagles for friendlies against Mali and Luxembourg.

The Olympiacos hit-man said it would have been a great personal honour to be part of the Yobo Testimonial in Port Harcourt.
“I really wanted to play. I had called and made enquiries last month concerning this particular game (Yobo Testimonial) because I didn’t know I would be invited to the national team,” he said.
“I was like let me come home with my family play the game then go to the United States of America for holidays, but I got called up for the friendlies.”

He added: “I was really looking forward to the game, to play for him because I played under him and he is a very good guy and it would have been a great honour to support him.”

Top players from various parts of Europe especially the EPL will be in Port Harcourt for the match. The list of those who have confirmed for the testimonial include Samuel Eto’o, Didier Drogba, John Terry, Thierry Henry and Wayne Rooney, the Ayew Brothers: Andre and Jordan, Sulley Muntari, Djibrin Cisse and Tresor Lualua amongst others.
Yobo featured at three FIFA World Cups and six AFCON tournaments, leading Nigeria to victory in his last outing in South Africa.

Some of the corporate bodies who have indicated their support for the Joseph Yobo Centenary Game include, Sifax Group, NICON Insurance and Beko Electronics Ltd.