Super Eagles midfielder Ogenyi Onazi is confident he will be fit for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, reports Completesports.com.
The 26 year old Nigeria international ruptured his achilles tendon in a Turkish Super League game against Rizespor in December 2018 and has since undergone surgery.
The former Lazio midfielder scored twice in 16 league games before his unfortunate injury.
“I will begin my rehabilitation once I arrive back in Trabzon and I am confident that I will be fit for the AFCON in Egypt,” Onazi who faces a race against time to be fit for the AFCON told Completesport.com exclusively.
“It was a big setback, but I thank God for the way I am recuperating.
“Several reports claim I will not play again for Trabzonspor till the end of the season, but trust me I will be back before the season ends and play some games before the AFCON.”
He also believes second place Trabzonspor still stand a chance of winning the Turkish Super Lig title their six points adrift leaders, Istanbul Basaksehir notwithstanding.
“We are hosting Istanbul Basaksehir on Sunday and that’s a chance to reduce the gap to three. I believe we can achieve that and I will be in the stadium to cheer them up to victory.”
Onazi, capped 51 times by Nigeria, helped the Super Eagles win the 2013 Africa Cup Of Nations in South Africa.
Exclusive by Johnny Edward
19 Comments
Get well soon bro. But please dont rush yourself back. Achilles tendons and cruciate ligament injuries are the most common injuries that end careers of players as they can be very very dicey. Give yourself lot of time to heal and get back to fitness…..you still have about 8yrs of football left in you if you manage your body well….!
I wish u speedy recovery
Yea,Onazi I wish a speedy recovery, we can’t wait to have u back.
Patriotic player, best of luck.
Patriotic player but I think his time is up in the Eagles fold
Are you serious? You call the young bull irrelevant hmmm all this title name commentators I hail una!
A fit, in form Onazi is still useful for the SE. He may not start games, but is a good player to have on the bench.
Pompeii,u r spot on.Onazi is a fine player at least he was trying to prove that to us with several fine performance at his club when injury struck.It is just that Nigerians forget too easily the good u have done when u make a slight blunder.Onazi has been a power house all through 2013 up until the world cup qualifiers, but persistent injuries reduced his work rate.We must stand by them when they need us in other not to send wrong signals to other players.
True and I wonder why femi started speaking from the Anus note that most commentators who give themselves titles like Dr Chiarman Dgreat all have almost weird sentiments and unrealistic just like their titles but in real life they have no toothpick in their pocket lmao just kidding!
I’m glad you completed your paragraph with “just Kidding”. Because you know what’s coming. Sometimes it’s good to be fascinated with great names. And mind you I’m already great while you’re still trying to figure out how to escape from Zambiza forest where all your memories are entrapped. Lmao! Just kidding as well.
Why am i not surprised. A name defines an individual and that was why jabeez prayed to God to change his. When your name is ‘Eberibe’…you cannot but live like one.
If your listing of….
2 clubless goalkeepers (clubless since over 2 years now),
a defender who is already in the national pool of Germany,
a full back playing in a backwater club in a backwater league,
and a striker who hasn’t averaged 2 leagues goals per season in 5 seasons of top flight football
…..as those who should be in the current SE starting XI ahead of the ones starting, isn’t weird and unrealistic to you….then let me heartily congratulate you. Your village witches have finally got you…and they have got you real bad. You have successfully taken delivery of the madness they couriered to you. The plenty toothpicks you carry about in your pocket is enough proof….In case you missed it…!
Just kidding….!!!
Yours was fun to read and for real, l laughed till l tears up, Thanks.
Realistically, Onazi will not be in Egypt for the AFCON. Achilles Tendon injures takes a minimum of 6 months to heal. His Achilles was ruptured and he underwent surgery which means he could be out for a longer period of time. Onazi may not kick a ball until the beginning of next season unless he miraculously recovers under 6 months and by then he can never be fully fit to play in a physically demanding competition like the AFCON. Onazi was good in 2013 and 2014. Those are the only two good years I can recall he played well for the SuperEagles(Pre Matuidi) since Matuidi broke his ankle at the WorldCup in Brazil Onazi has never played better in a SuperEagles shirt.
The emergence of Ndidi and Etebo has limited his influence in the SuperEagles. With the return of general Mikel. Onazi can never be missed in this present SuperEagles.
Onazi used to bring something different to the Super Eagles in the middle of the pack. Besides that he’s obviously more experienced, his commitment and aggression is always great to watch and he was a big asset at Afcon 2013.
Sad his game started stuttering after 2014 and worsened after his rumored spat with Mikel pre-Russia 2018 that he didn’t kick a ball at the World Cup. Personally, I’ll start Onazi ahead of Etebo. But Onazi didn’t help his cause either, as he got out of shape at a point.
If this injury unfortunately contributes to Onazi’s miss of the next Afcon, it may be the beginning of the end of his SE career in the manner of Brown Ideye, Aaron Samuel, Sunday Mba, Oboabona, Aluko, etc. Especially as some of his contemporaries like Mikel and Ighalo will likely retire from the SE after Afcon 2019.
We have a plethora of options in midfield and Onazi is trying to remain relevant to the squad. There is obviously something going on “upstairs” between him and the management team of the Super Eagles. Yes, he is not happy at being left out and its my belief that his problems with the coaches is one of attitude and application rather than ability.
He has declined since the world cup 2014 and coming back from the broken ankle. It seems he was back to his best post-world cup 2018, but could not force his way into the first team.
if we look at options in the middle of the park we have more than enough to leave him out with Mikel Obi and John Ogu possibly playing in their final tournament for the Super Eagles. Add on Wilfred Ndidi and Oghenekaro Etebo, plus Mikel Agu who is expected to challenge Etebo for a starting place. That is 5 defensive midfielders who bring something slightly different to the team. When you add on Semi Ajayi who can step forward to cover for defensive midfield, we already have six players who can do the job that Onazi does.
If I’m involved, i would ask him to concentrate on getting better and getting back into his clubside team and not worry about the Super Eagles for now. He is experienced, yes, but he also seems to be pressing the wrong buttons with certain people in the squad (management and or players) and it seems that they are happier when he is not involved.
Aptly put.
Someone on KON those days used him Ogenyi ‘Angry wasp’ Onazi. Cant remember the exact name of the fellow. Really, Onazi’s style as a defensive midfielder those days used to be like a wasp whose hive has just been demolished. He was young and really exuberant on the field of play back then. He would attack you and dispossess you of not just the ball at your feet, but even the ones between your thighs if you werent careful enough. That was how good he was. Jst as you rightly pointed out, the matuidi injury was a huge blow….if i may add too…getting married also had its effects….they young man started pilling up weight and his waistline started to visibly expand shortly after he got married. That obviously made him a tad slower and less reactive and as a result affected his decision making. Between 2014 and 2018, his game in the SE has been fraught with lots of needless and rash tackles, drop in pace, poor passing, vision and range. He just didnt loose his position after the england friendly. he had started loosing his position with strings of below par performances before then. Afterall V.Moses too was fingered in the crisis that rocked the team at the mundial but was still fielded in all 3 matches we played. The fact that we have lots of options in his position hasn’t helped Eddy’s cause. He will have to offer just more than winning tackles to regain his place in the SE. At his age and with his experience, he should be the one orchestrating things in the 2nd quarter of the pitch for the eagles….he should be playing a pivotal role and should be the one the rest of the youngsters look up to when they lack ideas going forward. Half a century of caps at 25 years of age is enough experience to be a leader on the pitch for the team, the same way Ahmed Musa has stepped up to be pivotal for the team of late. As a matter of fact, they were in the same U20 team, alongside Kenneth Omeruo at Colombia 2011….they were also in the AFCON winning squad of 2013. Those 3 are supposed to be the defining factors in the team today. Omeruo the Keshi or Taribo, Onazi the Oliseh and Musa the Amokachi of the team…players that can single handedly bulldoze a result from a losing position for the team.
Onazi should take his time in recovering and by so doing re-invent himself to become more than just a ball winning schemer for the team. I’d like to see him become a ‘water-carrier’/regista/ deep lying playmaker who can bring his experience to bear on the team’s play and dictate the pace of the game whenever he plays in the green and white.
*…..used to call him…..*
When on earth will CSN provide an ‘Edit’ button for us…?
Totally agreed with you. You hit the right keys.