Eric Akoto
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Eric Akoto[1] | ||
Date of birth | 20 June 1980 | ||
Place of birth | Accra, Ghana | ||
Height | 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) | ||
Position(s) | Centre-back | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1998 | Liberty Professionals | ||
1998–2002 | Grazer AK | 54 | (2) |
2002–2004 | Austria Wien | 40 | (4) |
2004–2005 | Rot-Weiß Erfurt | 4 | (0) |
2005–2006 | Admira Wacker | 17 | (1) |
2006–2007 | Grazer AK | 25 | (0) |
2007–2008 | Interblock | 30 | (1) |
2008–2009 | Kapfenberger SV | 15 | (0) |
2009 | Maccabi Ahi Nazareth | 9 | (0) |
2009–2010 | OFI Crete | 3 | (0) |
2010–2011 | North Queensland Fury | 15 | (0) |
2011–2012 | Floriana FC | 15 | (1) |
2012–2013 | Austria Klagenfurt | 18 | (3) |
International career | |||
2000–2009 | Togo | 56 | (1) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Eric Akoto (born 20 July 1980) is a naturalized Togolese former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. Born in Ghana, he represented the Togo national team at international level.
Club career
Akoto was born in Accra, Ghana. He started his career in Ghana, at Liberty Professionals FC in 1998 before moving to Austria later that year to play for Grazer AK. In 2002, he moved to FK Austria Wien, before moving to Germany in 2004 to play for FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt. On 1 June 2005, he returned to Austria to play for VfB Admira Wacker Mödling.[2] In 2006, he once again moved to Grazer AK.[2] In July 2007 he moved to Slovenia signing for Interblock Ljubljana.[3]
In the January 2008 transfer window, Akoto went on trial with Football League Championship club Blackpool in England.[4] He moved in July 2008 from Slovenian PrvaLiga Telekom Slovenije club, Interblock Ljubljana to Austrian Bundesliga club Kapfenberger SV.[5] In 2009, he moved to Maccabi Ahi Nazareth and later to OFI Crete.
In July 2010, he signed with Australian A-League club North Queensland Fury FC where he played as a central defender. In the Fury's round 3 match versus Melbourne Victory, Akoto was red carded after an incident involving Kevin Muscat, where the Victory defender would not let Akoto pick up his mouthguard and resulted in Akoto pushing Muscat to the ground.[6] Despite the incident being regarded as controversial by many media commentators, North Queensland opted against contesting the mandatory one-week suspension.[7]
In December 2011, he signed for Floriana FC.
International career
Born in the Ghanaian capital of Accra Akoto played for neighbouring Togo. He was part of the Togo national team's squad in the 2006 World Cup finals where Togo were knocked out of the competition in the group stages.[2] He was on the bus carrying the Togo team which was attacked by gunfire on 8 January 2010.[8]
References
- ^ "2006 FIFA World Cup Germany: List of Players: Togo" (PDF). FIFA. 21 March 2014. p. 28. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 June 2019.
- ^ a b c "Akoto joins Grazer AK". MTN Group. 6 July 2006. Archived from the original on 2 March 2008. Retrieved 9 January 2008.
- ^ "Okrepitev iz Toga" (in Slovenian). Interblock Ljubljana. 9 July 2007. Archived from the original on 16 July 2007. Retrieved 10 July 2007.
- ^ "Grayson casts net worldwide for signings". Blackpool Gazette. 8 January 2008. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
- ^ "SV Kapfenberg holt Eric Akoto ins Boot: Togolese war bereits bei GAK, Austria tätig" (in German). news.at. 15 July 2008. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
- ^ "Eric Akoto red card forgotten as NQ Fury prepare to tackle Melbourne Victory minus Kevin Muscat". Courier Mail. 15 September 2010. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
- ^ "NQ Fury opt against Kevin Muscat complaint after Eric Akoto red card". Courier Mail. 27 October 2010. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
- ^ Stewart, Antony (6 July 2010). "Fury offers new life away from horrors". townsvillebulletin.com.au. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
External links
- Eric Akoto – FIFA competition record (archived)
- Eric Akoto at National-Football-Teams.com
- Éric Akoto at Soccerbase
- 1980 births
- Living people
- Footballers from Accra
- Association football central defenders
- Naturalized citizens of Togo
- Togolese people of Ghanaian descent
- Togolese footballers
- Togo international footballers
- 2002 African Cup of Nations players
- 2006 Africa Cup of Nations players
- 2006 FIFA World Cup players
- 2010 Africa Cup of Nations players
- Slovenian PrvaLiga players
- Austrian Football Bundesliga players
- A-League Men players
- 2. Bundesliga players
- Maltese Premier League players
- Liberty Professionals F.C. players
- Grazer AK players
- FK Austria Wien players
- FC Admira Wacker Mödling players
- FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt players
- NK IB 1975 Ljubljana players
- Kapfenberger SV players
- Maccabi Ahi Nazareth F.C. players
- OFI Crete F.C. players
- Northern Fury FC players
- Togolese expatriate footballers
- Togolese expatriate sportspeople in Ghana
- Togolese expatriate sportspeople in Austria
- Expatriate footballers in Austria
- Togolese expatriate sportspeople in Germany
- Expatriate footballers in Germany
- Togolese expatriate sportspeople in Slovenia
- Expatriate footballers in Slovenia
- Togolese expatriate sportspeople in Israel
- Expatriate footballers in Israel
- Togolese expatriate sportspeople in Australia
- Expatriate soccer players in Australia
- Togolese expatriate sportspeople in Greece
- Expatriate footballers in Greece
- Togolese expatriate sportspeople in Malta
- Expatriate footballers in Malta
- 21st-century Togolese people