By: Oma Akatugba
Super Eagles and Mainz 05 of Germany’s defender, Leon Balogun is a huge fan of popular Nigerian musician, Wizkid and many other Nigerian artistes. Leon was born and raised in Germany, but the hard tackling defender enjoys a lot of Nigerian music, just like the average person living in Nigeria.
Even though he didn’t visit Nigeria until he was called up to represent her, the 29-year-old defender is seen regularly via his Instagram stories listening to songs from Nigerian artistes in his car back in Germany.
“Nigerian music usually makes me happy. Whenever I am in the locker room at my club, I put on Nigerian music, my colleagues would say ‘common, you and this your African music all the time’, and I will tell them, just wait, ‘in 5 minutes you will join me and start dancing’. This is why I like Nigerian music because it gives me so much energy and motivation”. Balogun said while featuring on omasports.tv’s Russia 2018 FIFA World cup show.
Leon, who has a native Nigerian middle name (Aderemi) also went on to say: “my best song for the moment, what I will like to call my song of the month is “Manya” by Wizkid, but I do listen to other Nigerian artists, sometimes I am listening to Tekno, the other time Davido or Mr Eazi. They are all amazing, all of them”
It is not just the Music Leon has fallen in love with in Nigeria, he has also started learning some pidgin. “I hear a lot of people speak pidgin whenever I am in Nigeria, but I am still not confident enough to speak it, I also learn a lot of it from the Nigerian songs that I listen to”
Leon Balogun earned for himself alongside his defence partner, Williams Troost Ekong the title (The Oyinbo Wall) haven together put up several five-star performances for the Super Eagles of Nigeria during the Russia 2018 world cup qualifiers.