Joey Akpunonu

Last updated

Joey Akpunonu
Personal information
Full name Joseph Akpunonu [1]
Date of birth (2001-12-21) December 21, 2001 (age 22)
Place of birth Toledo, Ohio, United States
Height 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) [2]
Position(s) Center-back
Team information
Current team
 Hartford Athletic (on loan from FC Cincinnati)
Number 3
Youth career
2018–2020 Pacesetter SC
College career
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2020–2022 Bowling Green Falcons 48 (8)
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2021–2022 Toledo Villa 22 (1)
2023– FC Cincinnati 1 (0)
2023– FC Cincinnati 2 23 (0)
2024– → Hartford Athletic 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of March 24, 2024

Joseph Akpunonu (born December 21, 2001) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a center-back for the USL Championship side Hartford Athletic, on loan from MLS club FC Cincinnati.

Contents

Club career

Akpunonu went to high school at St. John's Jesuit High School, where he was a three-year letter winner. He played college soccer with the Bowling Green Falcons from 2020 to 2022, where he received 2022 Academic All-America First Team honors in his final year. [3] In the summers, he played with USL League Two side Toledo Villa. [4] In December 2022, he was one of 44 players invited to the 2022 adidas MLS College Showcase. [5] He was drafted 22nd overall in the first round of the 2023 MLS SuperDraft on December 2, 2022, by FC Cincinnati. [6] First assigned to their reserves, he made his professional debut with FC Cincinnati in a 1–0 U.S. Open Cup win over Louisville City FC on April 27, 2023. [7]

On February 6, 2024, Akpunonu joined USL Championship club Hartford Athletic on a season loan for the 2024 season.

Personal life

Akpunonu is of Nigerian descent. [8] He studied biology at Bowling Green State University, and intends to become a doctor, like his father (Basil Akpunonu), [9] mother (Elizabeth Hoffman), [10] and brother (Peter Akpunonu). [11] ). [3] He had a 4.0 grade-point average, and was named to an 11-man Academic All-America First Team just prior to leaving Bowling Green State University. [2]

Honors

FC Cincinnati

Individual

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References

  1. ↑ "2022 adidas MLS College Showcase to feature 44 top college prospects | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer.
  2. 1 2 "Joey Akpunonu | MLSsoccer.com". mlssoccer.
  3. 1 2 "Joey Akpunonu - Men's Soccer". Bowling Green State University Athletics.
  4. ↑ Staff, Toledo Villa FC (December 20, 2022). "Interview with Joey Akpunonu". Toledo Villa FC - USL L2.
  5. ↑ "Invitees Announced for 2022 adidas MLS College Showcase | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer.
  6. ↑ "MLS SuperDraft: FC Cincinnati selects Bowling Green defender Joey Akpunonu". The Enquirer.
  7. ↑ "FC Cincinnati moving on in Open Cup with win against Louisville City FC | Replay". The Enquirer.
  8. ↑ "Akpunonu, Eneli drafted to MLS by Super Draft". Score Nigeria. December 26, 2022.
  9. ↑ "The University of Toledo Physicians". University of Toledo Physicians. June 14, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Dr. Elizabeth Hoffman, MD – Sylvania, OH | Internal Medicine on Doximity". Doximity. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
  11. ↑ "UK College of Medicine" . Retrieved September 11, 2023.
  12. ↑ Staff Reports (April 24, 2023). "Over a dozen Falcons honored at Ziggy Awards".
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