ONAZI ‘Music was my first love’

HE maybe in his 20s, Ogenyi Onazi is yet regarded as
one of the most eligible bachelors within the rank and
file of the Super Eagles.
Urbane and full of life, the Lazio’s Nigerian midfielder
said clearly that he has many years ahead of him and
won’t be settling down just yet because there are
many more rivers to cross. Onazi practically roared
into a hearty laughter when told his adoring Nigerian
fans are looking forward  to his marriage.
“Hahhahhahahaha ahhhh; Nigerians (expecting my
marriage?). They should come and contribute money
for my wedding,” Onazi responded to an email
questionnaire. “But my fiancée is just there, and they
will know her when the time comes
“She is special because I met her five years ago when
I started my journey and when I never knew who I was
going to be, the rest of the story to be continued like
Nigerian movie………. hahahahahh.”
Onazi said he remained grateful despite the fact that
life has been ups and downs in recent times:
“Obviously it (Super Eagles’ non qualification for the
2015 African Cup of Nations) affected me so much
because I already planned my season with a different
approach because if we had gone for the African Cup of
Nations, so many things would have changed but I still
give thanks to the Almighty God.
“Yes, all thanks to God for his mercy and favour.  Well,
I have always had good moment this season because I
have been playing and doing very well any time I get to
play.
“Playing football is a big moment for me because the
grace of God is always there for me. And the moment I
don’t want to remember is anytime we lose a game;
I’m also mad inside of me.”
They say you do as the Roman when you are in Rome
and the 2013 AFCON winner with the Super Eagles
reckons he is having a swell time at Lazio: “Our
strength (as a team at Lazio) is so many that I don’t
know where to start from.
“First, we are a team with tactical mentality and the
coach has put in the team a winning mentality, also I
will say one of the team’s strong points is all working
together pressing, attacking together and defending
together.
“Of course, playing in Rome is special to players
because we have a very good and conducive weather
condition and Rome is a very beautiful city; and the
fans sometimes make it enjoyable but not when things
are going bad,” he reasoned.
Onazi reportedly joined Lazio in 2011, alongside his
teammate, Sani Emmanuel, after they both had trials in
Italy following their impressive performances at the
2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup where the Golden Eaglets
were losing finalist to Switzerland.
He was first promoted to the Lazio first team during
the 201112 season after impressing at youth level and
made his Serie A debut as a substitute in the
penultimate match of the season when Lazio recorded
a 2-0 victory over Atalanta. He has not looked back
ever since and has regularly featured for the Rome-
based side in Italy and Europe. Onazi scored his first
goal for Lazio on March 7, 2013 in a 2-0 win against
Stuttgart in the last sixteen of the Europa League and
on May 8, 2013 scored his first Serie A goal in a 31 win
over Inter Milan. On September 22, 2014 he signed a
two-year contract extension with the  Serie A club
until 2018.
“My success secret is simply the special grace of
God with determination, hard work, constant practice,
ready to learn from everybody and love for my
profession,” hinted Onazi, adding that the famous Roma
derby between AS Roma and Lazio is the pick of the
crop in the Italian Serie A.“Well, the Roman derby is
always a very important game for me as well as our
fans.
“It was even special when we won the derby in the
Coppa Italia, but my pre match preparation is always
the same thing whether for a derby or any other
match; I always do what I do before starting the game
as usual. I don’t need to do anything different because
it’s a derby. I take my iPad listen to my gospel music
which will feed me spiritually before stepping out on
the field.”
Indeed, Onazi and music seem inseparable, following
his disclosure in an earlier interview with The Nation
Sport & Style, that he was a choir boy in his younger
years while growing up in Jos.
“Sure, I would choose a career in football time and
above music but both give me much pleasure,” he
noted. “Though they are two different things, football
and music are things that make me happy.
“If I’m not playing football, music would have been an
automatic choice. Being a professional footballer is
like doing me a favour because this is something I
enjoy doing naturally.
“I have the same feeling about music; it is something
that I derive pleasure in. All my time in Jos, you either
find me on the pitch playing football or I’m in the
church playing music; so it was all part of my growing
up.”
Onazi who helped the Super Eagles win the 2013
African Cup of Nations in South Africa has come a long
way. He began playing football on the streets of Jos at
a tender age but came to prominence when he joined
My People FC of Lagos – a team founded by Pastor
T.B Joshua of the Synagogue of All Nations. It was at
the instance of the pastor, according to Onazi, that his
love for music as a choirboy in Jos was rekindled:  “I
was an instrumentalist in Jos long before I met Pastor
T.B Joshua,” he emphasised. “Just like I play music, I
can play football and I think those are two special
talents God gave to me and I was really good at it.
“So when I met Pastor T.B Joshua, he encouraged me
to be an instrumentalist in the church and I do play
with the choir. Working in the church is a privilege for
me to serve God.”
Growing up in the church equally helped Onazi to come
to terms with the vagaries of life: “Of course, I was
brought up by Pastor T.B Joshua and he taught me so
many things, especially being less on ourselves and
more on others; this is just my philosophy and
principle of life,” he crooned.
It is this chastity and care for the less-privileged that
has endeared Onazi, who described himself as ‘a
gentleman without problem’, to many. Born on
December 25 in 1992, he informed that every festive
season at the end of the year is always an opportunity
for him to touch base with the people.
“Well, every Christmas and new year are two special
occasions for me because it’s a double celebration
since the Christmas falls on my birthday too,” he
said.“I’m going to buy lots of gifts for the less-
privileged and those who are physically challenged, as
well as the homeless; these are the people that I’m
concerned about.”