Kevin Akpoguma

Last updated

Kevin Akpoguma
20161011 U21 AUT GER 9295.jpg
Akpoguma with Germany U21 in 2016
Personal information
Full name Kevin John Ufuoma Akpoguma
Date of birth (1995-04-19) 19 April 1995 (age 29) [1]
Place of birth Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Germany
Height 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) [1] [2]
Position(s) Centre back, left-back
Team information
Current team
 TSG Hoffenheim
Number 25
Youth career
Rot-Weiß Speyer
Schwarz-Weiß Speyer
FC Bavaria Wörth
–2007 FC Neureut 08
2007–2012 Karlsruher SC
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2012–2013 Karlsruher SC 8 (1)
2013–2021 TSG Hoffenheim II 62 (3)
2015– TSG Hoffenheim 157 (3)
2015–2017 → Fortuna Düsseldorf (loan) 45 (0)
2019 → Hannover 96 (loan) 4 (0)
International career
2010–2011 Germany U16 5 (0)
2011–2012 Germany U17 15 (0)
2012–2013 Germany U18 5 (3)
2013–2014 Germany U19 18 (0)
2014–2016 Germany U20 14 (1)
2015–2017 Germany U21 7 (0)
2020– Nigeria 8 (0)
Medal record
Representing Flag of Germany.svg  Germany
UEFA European Under-19 Championship
Winner 2014 Hungary
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23 February 2025

Kevin John Ufuoma Akpoguma (born 19 April 1995) is a professional footballer who plays as a centre back or left-back for Bundesliga club TSG Hoffenheim. [3] Born in Germany, Akpoguma was a youth international for Germany but switched and plays for the Nigeria national team. [4]

Contents

Club career

Akpoguma spent the 2016–17 season on loan at 2. Bundesliga side Fortuna Düsseldorf. On 21 April 2017, towards the end of the season, he collided with FC St. Pauli's Bernd Nehrig in a league match. Both players were hospitalised with Akpoguma suffering a broken neck. [5]

Akpoguma made his first appearance in the Bundesliga the following season on 22 October 2017, replacing Stefan Posch at half-time in 1899 Hoffenheim's 1–1 draw with VfL Wolfsburg. [6] Four days later, he made his first start for the club, in a 1–0 away to Werder Bremen in the second round of the DFB-Pokal. [7]

International career

Born to a German mother and a Nigerian father, Kevin Akpoguma is eligible to play for Germany and Nigeria. He has represented Germany at youth level, playing for the U16, U17, U18, U19, U20, and U21 teams.

He was the captain of the German U-20 National, helping the team reach the quarterfinals of the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand. [8] [9]

In October 2018 he stated that he was open to playing to Nigeria. [10]

On 21 September 2020, Nigeria national team coach Gernot Rohr stated that Akpoguma has switched allegiance to play for the Nigeria national team. [11] [12]

On 28 September he confirmed reports that he has decided to play for the Nigeria national team. [13] Akpoguma made his debut with the Nigeria national team in a friendly 1–0 loss against Algeria on 9 October 2020. [14]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 23 February 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueCupEuropeTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Karlsruher SC 2012–13 3. Liga 8000–80
1899 Hofenheim II 2013–14 Regionalliga Südwest 261––261
2014–15 Regionalliga Südwest292––292
2017–18 Regionalliga Südwest40––40
2019–20 Regionalliga Südwest10––10
2020–21 Regionalliga Südwest20––20
Total623––623
1899 Hoffenheim 2013–14 Bundesliga 0000–00
2017–18 Bundesliga22010–230
2018–19 Bundesliga80002 [a] 0100
2019–20 Bundesliga18010–190
2020–21 Bundesliga161214 [b] 0222
2021–22 Bundesliga26230—292
2022–23 Bundesliga28020—300
2023–24 Bundesliga17010—180
2024–25 Bundesliga220307 [b] 0320
Total15731311301834
Fortuna Düsseldorf II (loan) 2015–16 Regionalliga West 50––50
Fortuna Düsseldorf (loan) 2015–16 2. Bundesliga 17010–180
2016–17 2. Bundesliga28021–301
Total45031–481
Hannover 96 (loan) 2018–19 Bundesliga4000–40
Career total28161621303108
  1. ↑ Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  2. 1 2 Appearances in UEFA Europa League

International

As of matches played on 18 June 2023
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Nigeria 202040
202220
202320
Total80

Honours

Individual

References

  1. 1 2 "Kevin John Ufuoma Akpoguma | TSG Hoffenheim | Player Profile | Bundesliga". bundesliga.com. DFL . Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  2. ↑ "Kevin Akpoguma". TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  3. ↑ "Akpoguma, Kevin" (in German). Kicker. Archived from the original on 1 August 2012. Retrieved 14 December 2012.
  4. ↑ "FIFA approves Akpoguma Nigeria switch". punchng.com. Archived from the original on 6 October 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  5. ↑ Rees, James (21 April 2017). "Fortuna Düsseldorf 1-3 FC St. Pauli: Injuries overshadow dramatic comeback". VAVEL. Archived from the original on 26 October 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  6. ↑ "Wolfsburg snatch late draw at home to Hoffenheim". Bundesliga. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  7. ↑ "Demirbay: "Ich bin sehr wütend"". kicker Online (in German). 26 October 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  8. ↑ Adewuyi, Lolade (23 May 2015). "Meet Nigerian-German Kevin Akpoguma, captain of the Germany U20 side". Goal.com. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  9. ↑ "FIFA U-20 World Cup New Zealand 2015 List of Players" (PDF). FIFA. 30 May 2015. p. 6. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  10. ↑ "Kevin Akpoguma: German youth star open to Nigeria call-up". 3 November 2018 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  11. ↑ "Akpoguma: Rohr reveals ex-German youth star's switch to Nigeria". 21 September 2020 – via www.goal.com.
  12. ↑ "Kevin Akpoguma: Ex-German youth star sold on Nigeria 'vision'". 21 September 2020 – via www.goal.com.
  13. ↑ "AKPOGUMA COMMITS HIS INTERNATIONAL FUTURE TO NIGERIA". 28 September 2020 – via www.tsg-hoffenheim.de/en.
  14. ↑ "Nigeria vs. Algeria - 9 October 2020 - Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com.
  15. ↑ "Fritz-Walter-Medaille: Ginter auf Götzes Spuren" (in German). German Football Association. 14 August 2013. Retrieved 15 August 2013.


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