Joseph Akpala
Joseph Akpala in the jersey of Karabükspor (2013 )
Joseph Akpala ( born August 24, 1986 in Jos ) is a Nigerian football player. He also has Belgian citizenship. Since the summer of 2012, the striker is the German first division club Werder Bremen under contract and spends the 2013/14 season as Leihespieler the Turkish first division club Kardemir Karabükspor.
- 2.1 Custom
Career
Association
By 2002 Akpala was in boarding the Pepsi Football Academy, where even players like John Obi Mikel and Soga Sambo were formed. In the Pepsi Youth department he was five years running. In 2003, the striker in the youth department of Bendel United, where he signed his first professional contract. Finally, the urban top club Bendel Insurance secured the services of Akpala 2005. There, he scored thirteen goals in nineteen games, making him the top scorer in the National Premier League. After just one year, Sporting Charleroi lured the young players in January 2006 in Belgium. After a short familiarization phase Akpala developed for the 2007/08 season to the top scorer of his team and secured with 18 goals the title of league scorer. This prompted the Belgian giants Club Brugge Akpala for season 2008/ 09 to bring the Jan Breydel Stadium. In Bruges, the attacker quickly became a regular player and was with fifteen hits 2008/ 09 top scorer of his team. In the top scorer of the League of offensive athlete in fourth place. Only Jaime Alfonso Ruiz (17 goals), Tom De Sutter and Dieumerci Mbokani ( of 16 results) were better. Thus he could not defend his title as the best shooter of the First Division. Was purchased as a result season of Cameroonian Dorge Kouemaha as another striker, repressed this Akpala from its position as " Forward - number -1", so that the Nigerians with seven goals was indeed the second best scorer of his team (along with Wesley Sonck ), but nine gates less than Kouemaha scored.
In summer 2012 Akpala moved to Bundesliga Werder Bremen, where he signed a four-year contract until 30 June 2016. His league debut came on September 1, 2012 ( 2nd Round ) in the 2-0 victory in the home match against Hamburger SV. In the season 2013/14 Akpala was loaned to the Turkish first division club Kardemir Karabükspor.
National
Akpala played between 2005 and 2007 several times for the U20 Nigeria before he was nominated in the roster of A- team in the country. On September 6, 2008 Akpala was in the World Cup qualification match against South Africa, his debut in the dress of the Nigerian national team. At that time, Samson Siasia coach moved him to the 80 minutes for Ikechukwu Uche. In the aftermath Akpala was nominated irregularly and missed the appointment to the banns for the African Cup of Nations in 2010 and the World Cup in South Africa. Even before the World Cup, at a training camp in the UK, Akpala was called by coach Lars Lagerback in the preliminary squad of Nigerians, but different as well as, inter alia, Seyi Olofinjana, Ikechukwu Uche and Peter Utaka out for the final nomination.
Achievements
Individually
- Scorer in the Nigerian Premier League: 2005
- Scorer of the Jupiler League: 2008