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For Anslem Onyeji, the pastor in charge of House of Prayer, a parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) football is more than a sport, which attracts people of diverse personality. It is a vehicle for winning souls for God. The first thing that gets your attention as you enter his office on Tinubu Road in Lupeju, is a pair of yellow football boots nestling in one corner.

“A lot of visitors are surprised to see them when they come in here,” he said as this reporter’s eyes fell on the shoes.”I love football and I try to keep in shape every week playing the game,” he added. Indeed, his love for football is such that his sermons are often interspersed with images from football.

“I never knew I was going to be a servant of God. I always thought that I would earn a living from playing football or sports generally,” he said about his experiences growing up. In the mid-1980s he started out by playing street football like every other child his age.”We use to play inter-street football tournaments back in the days and even when my street wasn’t not playing, other streets come over to beg me to play for them because I was very good,” he said. He recalled a particular tournament where his team played against the bulk of players selected to represent Nigeria at an U-13 tournament in the United States.”After that match their coach came over to me that I should join his side, I had thought that would be my breakthrough but the tournament they were meant to attend in Dallas, United state was cancelled due to logistic problems”

Beyond football
Aside football, Onyeji has also had stints in Karate and Taekwondo while at the Universities of Calabar and Benin. During his National Youth Service (NYSC) year in Ekehuan barracks in Benin City, Onyeji who previously started out has the assistant physical education instructor ended up as the coach of the Barrack’s team to the Armed Forces Games. As the coach of the secondary school, he led the team to the finals of the Principals’ Cup before been given the tough task of coaching the army team.

Football and evangelism
Onyeji says football and indeed, sports generally should be used to serve God given the passion it evokes among people despite their age, size and nationality: “I have always loved football and sports as a whole and I believe they can be used for evangelism. On Sundays you find a lot of youth who should be in church serving God playing football on the streets. If they saw that the church encouraged the playing of football, a lot of them would be encouraged to move closer to God “This is why, he says, he encourages members of his church to play football. At the moment, the church’s football team are preparing for a football tournament involving a number of churches of Pentecostal extraction.

At the Baptist Academy ground on Obanikoro in Lagos, Onyeji and members of his flock can be sweating it out during training sessions on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.”Before any session we pray and share the word from the Bible with the players. We take the competition seriously and once we start training it is serious business,” said the pastor who has a close relationship with his parishioners particularly the youth who flock around him. Unlike most priests who abhor sports, Onyeji does not see anything wrong it.

He exhorts parents whose children have passion for one sport or the other, to encourage them.”While the importance of education cannot be overemphasised, involvement in sports goes a long way in making children rounded personalities, that is apart from the obvious social and financial advantages it confers on them as grown ups who excel in their chosen fields.”It is important that parents encourage their children to get involved in sports while ensuring that they not treat their education with levity.”