Lawrence Akandu
Lawrence Chimezie Akandu (Chinese: 羅倫士 Lawrence, born 10 December 1974 in Nigeria) is a Nigerian-born Hong Kong football player who currently plays for Hoi Fan in the Campeonato da 1ª Divisão do Futebol.
 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Lawrence Chimezie Akandu | ||
| Date of birth | 10 December 1974 | ||
| Place of birth | Benin City, Nigeria | ||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1991–1992 | Sharks F.C. | ||
| 1993–1994 | Wisła Kraków | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1994–1996 | Frankwell | ||
| 1996–1997 | Five-One-Seven | ||
| 1997–2002 | Tung Po | ||
| 2002–2003 | Kitchee | (15) | |
| 2003–2005 | Happy Valley | 28 | (13) |
| 2005–2006 | Tung Po | 21 | (23) |
| 2006–2007 | HKFC | 13 | (2) |
| 2007–2009 | Shatin | 28 | (17) |
| 2009–2012 | Mutual | 7 | (7) |
| 2012–2013 | Yuen Long | 0 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | Kwong Wah | ||
| 2014–2015 | Sun Source FC | ||
| 2015–2018 | Mutual | 19 | (6) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2003–2004 | Hong Kong | 7 | (1) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17 May 2016 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 14 November 2009 | |||
Biography
Early career
Akandu started his career and made his name as a centre forward but has become a defender.
Akandu moved to Hong Kong from the Polish club Wisła Kraków in 1994.[1] He played for Hong Kong First Division side Frankwell, Five-One-Seven, Tung Po.[2]
In the summer of 2002, Akandu joined Hong Kong Second Division club Kitchee. As a physically powerful centre forward, he scored 15 goals in the 2002–03 season, helping Kitchee earn promotion to the Hong Kong First Division.
Happy Valley
In 2003–04 season, Akandu joined Happy Valley, one of the top team in Hong Kong First Division League. Despite lack of first division experience, he quickly adapted in the competition. He scored ten goals in the first-half season and led the Top Soccer table.
International career
In November 2003, Akandu acquired Hong Kong permanent resident status and played as a striker in the Hong Kong representative team. He scored on his debut for Hong Kong in the East Asian Football Championship 2003 against Korea Republic on 4 December 2003, where he scored the only goal for Hong Kong.[3]
Honours
With Kitchee:
- Hong Kong Second Division League: 2002–03
With Happy Valley:
- Hong Kong Senior Shield: 2003–04
- Hong Kong FA Cup: 2003–04
With Tung Po:
- Hong Kong Junior Shield: 2005–06
With Shatin SA:
- Hong Kong Junior Shield: 2007–08
- Hong Kong Third Division League: 2007–08
- Hong Kong Junior Shield: 2008–09
- Hong Kong Second Division League: 2008–09
Career statistics
Club career
As of 14 November 2009
| Club | Season | League | League Cup | Senior Shield | FA Cup | AFC Cup | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Happy Valley | 2003–04 | 14 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 31 | 14 |
| 2004–05 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 19 | 5 | |
| Total | 28 | 13 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 50 | 19 | |
| Club | Season | League | — | Junior Shield | — | — | Total | ||||||
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Tung Po | 2005–06 | 21 | 21 | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 23 | 23 |
| Total | 21 | 21 | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 23 | 23 | |
| Club | Season | League | League Cup | Senior Shield | FA Cup | AFC Cup | Total | ||||||
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Hong Kong FC | 2006–07 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 2 |
| Total | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 2 | |
| Club | Season | League | — | Junior Shield | FA Cup | — | Total | ||||||
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Shatin SA | 2007–08 | 4 | 4 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 4 |
| Season | League | — | Junior Shield | FA Cup | — | Total | |||||||
| 2008–09 | 16 | 13 | — | — | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 22 | 18 | |
| Total | 20 | 17 | — | — | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 22 | |
| Mutual FC | 2009–10 | 7 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 7 | ||
| Total | 7 | 7 | — | — | 5 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 7 | 7 | |
| Career Total | |||||||||||||
International career
As of 15 January 2007
| # | Date | Venue | Opponents | Result | Goals | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 December 2003 | Tokyo, Japan |  South Korea | 1–3 | 1 | East Asian Cup 2003 |
| 2 | 7 December 2003 | Saitama, Japan |  Japan | 0–1 | 0 | East Asian Cup 2003 |
| 3 | 10 December 2003 | Yokohama, Japan |  China | 1–3 | 0 | East Asian Cup 2003 |
| 4 | 19 February 2004 | Kuantan, Malaysia |  Malaysia | 3–1 | 0 | FIFA World Cup 2006 Qual. |
| 5 | 9 June 2004 | Kuwait City, Kuwait |  Kuwait | 0–4 | 0 | FIFA World Cup 2006 Qual. |
| 6 | 8 September 2004 | Hong Kong, Hong Kong | Kuwait | 0–2 | 0 | FIFA World Cup 2006 Qual. |
| 7 | 17 November 2004 | Hong Kong, Hong Kong | China | 0–7 | 0 | FIFA World Cup 2006 Qual. |
Notes and references
- "Dudu Omagbeni przed debiutem – Wislakrakow.com". Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
- Lawrence Akandu at National-Football-Teams.com
- Match highlights – Hong Kong 1:3 Korea Rep., YouTube