Joshua Akpudje

Joshua Akpudje
Personal information
Full name Joshua Oghene Ochukwu Akpudje
Date of birth (1998-07-23) 23 July 1998 (age 26)
Place of birth Lagos, Nigeria
Height 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)
Position(s) Centre Back
Youth career
Femmak Football Academy
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019–2020 MFM 29 (2)
2020–2022 Daugavpils 44 (0)
2022 → Panevėžys (loan) 22 (1)
2022–2023 Jablonec 14 (0)
2024 Dinamo Tbilisi 9 (0)
2024 Ilves 10 (0)
International career
2019 Nigeria U23 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19 October 2024

Joshua Oghene-Ochuko Akpudje (born 23 July 1998) is a Nigerian professional footballer who most recently played as a centre-back for Veikkausliiga club Ilves.[1]

Early career

Born in Lagos, Akpudje started his football career with Femmak Football Academy straight out of high school before joining Nigerian Professional Football League side MFM ahead of the abridged season in 2019.

Club career

On 3 March 2020, Akpudje completed a transfer to Latvian club BFC Daugavpils[2]

After playing for two seasons in Latvia, Akpudje moved to Lithuanian side FK Panevėžys[3][4] on loan in February 2022.

On 12 February 2024, Akpudje signed a two-year contract, with the option of a third, with Dinamo Tbilisi.[5]

On 11 July 2024, he moved to Finland after signing with Ilves in Veikkausliiga.[6] He left club after the season, in which Ilves finished 2nd in the league.

International career

Akpudje made his international debut for Nigeria U23 side in March 2019 against Libya [7] in an Africa U-23 Cup of Nations qualification game.

Career statistics

As of 19 October 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season Division League Cup[a] League cup Continental Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
MFM 2019 NPFL 10 0 – – – 10 0
2019–20 NPFL 19 2 – – – 19 2
Total 29 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 29 2
Daugavpils 2020 Virslīga 23 0 1 0 – – 24 0
2021 Virslīga 21 0 2 0 – – 23 0
2022 Virslīga 0 0 0 0 – – 23 0
Total 44 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 47 0
Panevėžys (loan) 2022 A Lyga 22 1 1 0 – 2[b] 0 25 1
Jablonec 2022–23 Czech First League 14 0 2 0 – – 16 0
Jablonec B 2022–23 ČFL 2 0 – – – 2 0
Dinamo Tbilisi 2024 Erovnuli Liga 9 0 0 0 – – 9 0
Ilves 2024 Veikkausliiga 10 0 0 0 0 0 3[b] 0 13 0
Career total 130 3 6 0 0 0 5 0 141 0
  1. ^ Includes Latvian Cup, Lithuanian Cup, Czech Cup and Finnish Cup
  2. ^ a b Appearances in UEFA Conference League

Honours

Ilves

References

  1. ^ Joshua Akpudje at Soccerway
  2. ^ Umeh, Azu (3 March 2020). "MFM FC Defender Joshua Akpudje Seals Move To Latvian Side". The Busy Buddies. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  3. ^ ""Panevėžyje" – nuomos pagrindais atvykstantis gynėjas iš Nigerijos". 15min.lt/sportas (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  4. ^ ""Panevėžys" sustiprino gynybos grandį". sportas.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  5. ^ "დინამომ ორი ფეხბურთელი დაიმატა". fcdinamo.ge (in Georgian). FC Dinamo Tbilisi. 12 February 2024. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  6. ^ Ilves ja Joshua Akpudje pelaajasopimukseen, ilvesfootball.com, 11 July 2024
  7. ^ "Nigeria's Olympic Eagles lose 0-2 to Libya in first leg of 2019 AFCON U-23 qualifier". Pulse Nigeria. 20 March 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  8. ^ Ilveksen päävalmentaja hopeasta: ”Voitettu mitali”, Yle, 19 October 2024