Joey Akpunonu

Joseph Akpunonu (born December 21, 2001) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a center-back for the MLS club FC Cincinnati.

Joey Akpunonu
Personal information
Full name Joseph Akpunonu[1]
Date of birth (2001-12-21) December 21, 2001
Place of birth Toledo, Ohio, United States
Height 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)[2]
Position(s) Center-back
Team information
Current team
 FC Cincinnati
Number 3
Youth career
2018–2020 Pacesetter SC
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2020–2022 Bowling Green Falcons 48 (8)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2021–2022 Toledo Villa 22 (1)
2023– FC Cincinnati 1 (0)
2023– FC Cincinnati 2 9 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 11:30, June 25, 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 07:55, June 22, 2023 (UTC)

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]

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

References
  1. "2022 adidas MLS College Showcase to feature 44 top college prospects | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer.
  2. "Joey Akpunonu | MLSsoccer.com". mlssoccer.
  3. "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.
  9. "The University of Toledo Physicians". University of Toledo Physicians. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
  10. Doximity https://www.doximity.com/pub/elizabeth-hoffman-md. Retrieved September 11, 2023. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  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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