Ogenyi Onazi Biography

Ogenyi Eddy Onazi (born December 25, 1992) is an experienced professional footballer from Nigeria, who plays as a central midfielder for Serie D side Casertana and also for the Nigerian national team, Super Eagles.

Full Name	Ogenyi Eddy Onazi
Date of Birth	December 25, 1992
Place of Birth	Plateau State, Nigeria
Occupation	Footballer
Footballer Club	Casertana, Super Eagles
Net Worth	$1 million
Social Media Handles	Instagram: @onaziogenyi Twitter: @OnaziOgenyi

Early Life

Ogenyi Onazi was born on the 25th of December, 1992, in Jos, a city in the middle belt region of Nigeria.

Career

Professional Career

In 1998, Onazi started playing football on the streets of Jos. He received a lot of attention for his football prowess and ability, which gave him the chance to play in some of the city’s academies. When he relocated to the city of Lagos to play for My People, his footballing prowess first gained attention.

In 2011, Onazi and his partner Sani Emmanuel both signed for Lazio. Following participation at the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup, in which Nigeria reached the final on home soil before losing to Switzerland, the two underwent trials in England, Greece, and Italy.

After playing at the youth level, Onazi was initially elevated to the Lazio first squad during the 2011–12 campaign. In the 90th minute of the season’s concluding game, he replaced Senad Luli to make his Serie A debut.

Onazi had greater playing time under coach Vladimir Petkovic in the 2012–2013 season, playing as a defensive midfielder. Notably, he started in a UEFA Europa League encounter at White Hart Lane against Tottenham Hotspur that resulted in a scoreless tie. He scored his first goal for Lazio on March 7, 2013, against Stuttgart in the Europa League round of sixteen. In a 3-1 victory over Inter Milan on May 8, 2013, he scored his first Serie A goal.

In a 4-2 loss to Napoli on April 13, 2014, he scored his second Serie A goal for Lazio. Onazi extended his contract with Lazio for another two years, through 2018, on September 22, 2014. His 88th-minute goal in Lazio’s 3-2 victory over Napoli on May 31, 2015, contributed to the team earning the final Champions League spot. He was moved to Trabzonspor for €3.5 million on August 2, 2016.

Onazi joined Denizlispor on a free transfer from Trabzonspor, another team in Turkey’s top-flight football league, on January 15, 2020. According to reports, Onazi and Denizlispor have agreed on a six-month contract with a one-year extension option. The central midfielder’s deal with Trabzonspor ran through May 2020 at the age of 27.

Onazi signed a contract with SonderjyskE of the Danish Superliga on October 4, 2020, for the 2020–21 season, with an option for an additional two years. Three months after his arrival, on January 5, 2021, the club released him.

Onazi joined the champion Zalgiris team in Lithuania on February 18, 2021. He scored his first goal for the team on July 13, 2021, against Linfield in Champions League qualifying. Onazi departed FK Zalgiris on August 18, 2021. He participated in 19 games for A Lyga in 2021 and scored twice.

Onazi signed up with the Turkish team Denizlispor on August 20, 2021. He enlisted in the Saudi side Al-Adalah on January 19, 2022. After six years, Onazi made his way back to Italy on August 29, 2022, when he signed with Serie D team Casertana.

International Career

At the 2009 FIFA U-17 and U-20 World Cups, Onazi represented Nigeria. On December 10, 2010, he scored his first goal in a 3-1 friendly victory over Venezuela in Florida, USA.

For the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, Onazi was selected for the 23-person Nigerian team. When they played Burkina Faso in their opening game, he entered as a substitute. He participated fully in all of Nigeria’s knockout round games, including the championship game.

Onazi was included in the final 23-man squad for Nigeria’s World Cup teams in 2014 and 2018. He participated in each of his nation’s four games during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Onazi was removed from the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations because his Achilles injury did not heal completely.

Honors

Lazio

2013: Coppa Italy

Trabzonspor

2020: Turkish Cup

Net Worth

According to different sources online, Ogenyi Onazi has an estimated net worth of $1 million.

Social Media Handles

Ogenyi Onazi is very active on social media platforms. He has verified accounts on both Instagram and Twitter, with over 224,000 and over 132,700 followers respectively. You can follow him through the social media handles below.

Instagram: @onaziogenyi
Twitter: @OnaziOgenyi