In this edition of "Story Behind The Nickname," KickOff catches up with former Mamelodi Sundowns player Alois Bunjira.
The former Zimbabwean international shares the details behind his nickname "Gazza," a name he shares with one of English football's greatest icons.
Your nickname "Gazza"—how did it come about, who gave it to you, and why?
"When I was growing up, I admired Paul 'Gazza' Gascoigne. So, when I got my first pair of personal football boots, a PUMA, I wrote 'GAZZA' on the white Puma symbol of the boots with a magic marker.
"I was playing for Darryn T Under 16 at the age of 14. When my teammates saw the boots, they started calling me 'GAZZA.' The nickname has stuck with me to this day."
You like it off course?
"Yes, I loved it! I admired Gascoigne, and it was actually cool to be called by his nickname."
Is there anyone who didn't like calling you that?
"Yes, many CAPS United fans don’t like calling me that. They prefer calling me 'ZOLA,' a nickname they gave me themselves. Whenever you hear someone call me 'ZOLA,' chances are that he is a CAPS United fan. They gave me this nickname after I scored all four goals in a 4-0 win against Hwange in a league match. This happened the day after Gianfranco Zola scored four goals for Chelsea in England. Everyone at the stadium started calling me Zola after that match.
"Those from my Darryn T days call me 'Kriss Kross.' All three nicknames are popular, but 'GAZZA' is much more international, while the other two are more local."
You mentioned that you loved the nickname. What about the man 'Gazza'? He was known for his love of whisky. Is that something you share?
"No way! We're completely opposite. I do drink occasionally. You want to know how I got the 'Kriss Kross' nickname?"
Yes, please share with KickOff:
"So, in my first full season in the Zimbabwe Premier League, I was 17 years old. My team, Darryn T, reached the final of the Premier Cup in Zimbabwe, which is similar to the NedBank Cup in South Africa. Our cup was the prestigious Castle Cup. We played against CAPS United, one of the biggest clubs in Zimbabwe known as the 'Cup Kings.' Nobody gave us a chance against the giants, as our team consisted mostly of young players, with six in the starting eleven under 20. I was still in high school.
"In that game, I was outstanding, dribbling past the CAPS United defenders and turning them upside down. The commentator from the famous radio station, Charles Mabika, started saying, 'Young Alois Bunjira is on fire here. He is making the CAPS United defenders JUMP... just like in the song "Kriss Kross will make you jump." He is the KRISS KROSS today—make them defenders jump!' From that moment on, he started calling me 'Kriss Kross' each time I got the ball and dribbled past a defender.
"When I got home after that match, everyone in my neighborhood was calling me 'Kriss Kross.' They all listened to the match on the radio, and I became the hero of my area. When I asked my mom why people were calling me 'Kriss Kross,' she told me it was the name given to me on the radio that day. To this day, many still call me 'Kriss Kross' in Zimbabwe."
If you could relive it, what would you want your nickname to be? And why?
"My favorite nickname for myself is actually 'GQ.' When I was younger, still in my early days of high school, my friends and I watched a movie called 'Juice' featuring Janet Jackson, Tupac, and Omar Epps. Omar Epps had this stylish box-cut hairstyle that I liked. His character in the movie was named Quincy, and his friends called him 'Q.' After watching the movie, I went straight to get the same hairstyle. When my friends saw me, they started calling me 'Quincy' or 'Q.' This nickname is only known by my closest friends.
"So, I started combining 'GAZZA' (G) and 'Quincy' (Q) to come up with 'GQ.' Now many people also address me as 'GQ.'"
Photo Credit: - Duif Du Toit/Gallo Images
