Ogenyi Onazi

Ogenyi Onazi Biography / Profile

Ogenyi Eddy Onazi was born on December 25th, 1992 in Jos Plateau State, Nigeria. He is a professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Turkish club Trabzonspor and the Nigeria national football. He also serves as the assistant captain of the national team.

Ogenyi Onazi Age

Ogenyi Onazi is 31 years old.

Ogenyi Onazi Early Life

Onazi began playing football in the streets of Jos in 1998. His football skills and abilities drew a lot of attention to him and afforded him the opportunity to play in some academies in the city.

Ogenyi Onazi Career

Ogenyi began to play football in the youth system of El Kanemi Warriors before moving on to My People FC. The latter side was founded by a Nigerian Pastor and aimed at promoting talented players.

As a 16-year-old, Onazi represented Nigeria at the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup, where Nigeria finished runners-up. However two years later, he was overlooked for selection at the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup, despite participating in the training camps in Portugal and Panama.

In 2011 Onazi was noticed by Lazio scouts. In 2012, he joined the first team of the Italian club. He has also made several appearances for Lazio in the 2012/13 UEFA Europa League. He won the Coppa Italia with Lazio in the 2012/2013. He moved to Trabzonspor on August 2nd, 2016 for €3.5 million.

Onazi is capped to the Nigeria national team since 2012. He scored his maiden goal during his the second game for Nigeria in a match against Venezuela in November 2012. In 2013, he won the African Cup of Nations with the Super Eagles in South Africa. He was selected for Nigeria's squad at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, but missed out of the tournament as he suffered a slight knee knock a few weeks before the competition. He also represented the country at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil where the team lost out in the Round of 16 against France in a game he went off injured.

Ogenyi Onazi Personal Life

In June of 2016, Onazi wedded his long time girl friend, Sandra Ogunsuyi. The traditional wedding took place in the ancient city of Benin, the Edo State capital while the white wedding was staged in Lagos. The couple have a baby girl.

His net worth is estimated to be $6,448,000.

Ogenyi Onazi Awards

In 2013, being part of the victorious Super Eagles players at the AFCON, he was honoured with the Member of the Niger award by the then President of Nigeria, President Goodluck Jonathan.