William Akio

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
William Akio
Personal information
Full name William Akio
Date of birth (1998-07-23) 23 July 1998 (age 23)
Place of birth Nairobi, Kenya
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Forward
Club information
Current team
 Valour FC
Number 19
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2017 SAIT Trojans 19 (18)
2018–2021 Texas–Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros 41 (18)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–2019 Calgary Foothills 29 (13)
2021– Valour FC 28 (8)
National team‡
2022– South Sudan 2 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17 December 2021
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 14 February 2022

William Akio (born 23 July 1998) is a South Sudanese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Valour FC and the South Sudan national team.

Early life[]

Akio was born in a refugee camp in Nairobi, Kenya to South Sudanese parents who had fled the Second Sudanese Civil War.[1] He later immigrated to Canada with his family, where he grew up in Calgary.[1]

Club career[]

Early career[]

In 2016, Akio attended the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, where he scored eighteen goals in nineteen appearances over two years.[2] In 2018, he transferred to the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, where he went on to score eighteen goals in 41 appearances.[2] Akio played for Calgary Foothills in USL League Two from 2017 to 2019, scoring 13 goals in 29 games, adding another 1 goal in 6 playoff games. In 2019, he would score 11 goals in 12 appearances.[3][4][5]

Valour FC[]

On 5 May 2021, Akio signed his first professional contract with Canadian Premier League side Valour FC.[6] On 27 June 2021, he made his debut as a substitute in a 2–0 win over Forge FC.[7] He scored his first professional goal on June 30th in a match against HFX Wanderers. Valour started the season off very strong, aided by home field advantage as the first segment of the season was played only in Winnipeg due to the Covid-19 pandemic. When this part of the season ended, the team began to struggle midway through the season and fell out of a playoff position. However, Akio helped lead a resurgence near the end of the season, pushing Valour right into the thick of the playoff race, with performances such as his two goals and an assist in a crucial match against Cavalry.[8] But despite Akio and the rest of the team's efforts, Valour just missed out of the playoffs.[9] Overall Akio had a strong first professional season, finishing with eight goals and three assists, and was in especially excellent form in October and November, being named in the CPL Team of the Week twice.

In January 2022, Valour announced they had picked up Akio's contract option, keeping him at the club through 2022.[10]

International career[]

In 2021, Akio received his first call-up to the South Sudan national team, but did not make an appearance.[11] A month after signing his first pro contract with Valour FC, he received another call-up for a friendly against Jordan.[11] After the 2021 CPL season ended, Akio was again called up by South Sudan for friendlies against the Gambia and Algeria.[12] Akio eventually made his international debut on 27 January 2022 in a friendly defeat to Uzbekistan.[13][14]

Career statistics[]

Club[]

As of 29 January 2022[3][4][5][15]
Club statistics
Club Season League National Cup[a] Continental Other[b] Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Calgary Foothills 2017 USL PDL 7 1 — — 1 0 8 1
2018 USL PDL 10 1 — — 4 1 14 2
2019 USL League Two 12 11 — — 1 0 13 11
Total 29 13 0 0 0 0 6 1 35 14
Valour FC 2021 Canadian Premier League 28 8 2 0 — 0 0 30 8
Career total 57 21 2 0 0 0 6 1 65 22

  1. ^ Includes appearances in the Canadian Championship.
  2. ^ Includes appearances in the USL League Two playoffs.

International[]

As of match played 27 January 2022[14]
National team Year Apps Goals
South Sudan 2022 1 0
Total 1 0

References[]

  1. ^ a b Ed Tait (6 May 2021). "How William Akio turned an IG Field tour to Valour FC contract: 'I will play in CPL one day'". Canadian Premier League. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  2. ^ a b "William Akio". University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  3. ^ a b "William Akio profile". USL League Two. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  4. ^ a b "William Akio profile". USL League Two. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  5. ^ a b "William Akio 2019". USL League Two. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  6. ^ "Valour FC signs forward William Akio for 2021 season". Canadian Premier League. 5 May 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  7. ^ "Forge vs. Valour - 27 June 2021". Soccerway. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  8. ^ "HIGHLIGHTS: Valour FC takes chaotic 4-2 win over Cavs, dramatically jump back into playoff spot". Canadian Premier League. 2021-10-30. Retrieved 2021-11-14.
  9. ^ "Eddies Hang On To Eliminate Valour From Playoff Contention". Northern Tribune. 2021-11-06. Retrieved 2021-11-14.
  10. ^ "Valour FC announce return of forwards Moses Dyer and William Akio". Valour FC. January 11, 2022.
  11. ^ a b John Jacques (1 June 2021). "Four CPL Players Called Up For International Duty". Northern Tribune. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  12. ^ "William Akio Accepts South Sudan Call-Up". Northern Tribune. 2021-11-11. Retrieved 2021-11-14.
  13. ^ "South Sudan 0 Uzbekistan 3". footballcritic.com. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  14. ^ a b "NFT profile". National Football Teams. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  15. ^ "W. Akio". Soccerway. Retrieved 30 January 2022.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""