Jump to content

Manuel Akanji

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Nnadigoodluck (talk | contribs) at 23:52, 9 August 2020 (Reverted edits by 191.7.154.37 (talk) (HG) (3.4.10)). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Manuel Akanji
Akanji with Switzerland at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Full name Manuel Obafemi Akanji[1]
Date of birth (1995-07-19) 19 July 1995 (age 29)
Place of birth Neftenbach,[2] Switzerland
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[1]
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
 Borussia Dortmund
Number 16
Youth career
2004–2007 FC Wiesendangen
2007–2014 FC Winterthur
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014–2015 Winterthur 37 (1)
2015–2018 Basel 42 (5)
2018– Borussia Dortmund 65 (1)
International career‡
2014 Switzerland U-20 2 (0)
2014–2015 Switzerland U-21 6 (0)
2017– Switzerland 22 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13 June 2020
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 18 November 2019

Manuel Obafemi Akanji (born 19 July 1995) is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a defender for Borussia Dortmund and Switzerland national team.

Club career

Youth football

Born in Neftenbach,[2] Akanji began his youth career with the local club in Wiesendangen. In May 2007, Akanji changed clubs and was a youth-team player for FC Winterthur. During his early years he played for their Under-18 team and later with their second team. In the 2014–15 Challenge League he was in Winterthur's starting eleven, having played two games for them during the previous season.

Basel

On 15 April 2015, it was announced that Akanji would transfer to Basel for the 2015–16 Super League season.[3] He made his Swiss Super League debut on 26 September 2015 being substituted in against FC Lugano. Under trainer Urs Fischer Akanji won the Swiss Super League championship at the end of the 2015–16 Super League season[4] and at the end of the 2016–17 Super League season for the second time. For the club this was the eighth title in a row and their 20th championship title in total. They also won the Swiss Cup for the twelfth time, which meant they had won the double for the sixth time in the club's history.[5]

As Swiss Champions, Basel qualified for the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League and started in the Group stage. Akanji played in all six games over the full 90 minutes and helped the team finish in second group position, thus qualifying for the next round. On 15 January 2018, Basel announced that Akanji had transferred to Borussia Dortmund.[6]

Borussia Dortmund

Akanji transferred to Borussia Dortmund on 15 January 2018 during the winter transfer window for a reported fee of 18 million euros.[7] He signed a four and a half year contract dated until June 2022.[8] On 27 September, Akanji scored his first goal for the club and his first Bundesliga goal in a 7–0 victory over 1. FC Nürnberg.[9] Akanji was widely criticised for his costly errors during Dortmund's failed challenge to Bayern during the 2019/20 season. Akanji was one of the main players singled out as a weak link in the team.[10]

International career

Akanji made two appearances for the Switzerland U-20 national team. His debut was on 7 September 2014 in the 0–0 draw against the German U-20 national team. From 2014, he was a member of the Switzerland U-21 team and made his debut for them on 26 March in the 0–3 defeat by the Italian U-21 team.

Akanji made his debut in the senior team in the 2–0 win against Faroe Islands in the 2018 World Cup qualification match on 9 June 2017. He played the entire 90 minutes.[11]

He was included in the Swiss team 23 man squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.[12]

Personal life

Akanji was born in Neftenbach, Switzerland to a Swiss mother and a Swiss-Nigerian father.

Career statistics

International

As of 18 November 2019[13]
Switzerland
Year Apps Goals
2017 4 0
2018 9 0
2019 9 0
Total 22 0

Honours

FC Basel

Borussia Dortmund

References

  1. ^ a b "2018 FIFA World Cup Russia – List of Players" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 4 June 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 August 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  2. ^ a b Manuel Akanji. in: Munzinger-Archiv, Internationales Sportarchiv 24/2018 vom 12. Juni 2018, accessed on 12 November 2018.
  3. ^ Ein neuer Verteidiger für den FCB: Manuel Akanji kommt vom FC Winterthur TagesWoche dated 15. April 2015
  4. ^ Marti, Casper (2016). "Es ist vollbracht ! Der FCB ist zum 19. Mal Meister". FC Basel 1893. Retrieved 30 April 2016. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  5. ^ Marti, Casper (2017). "Der Saisonabschluss im Zeitraffer". FC Basel 1893. Retrieved 2 June 2017. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  6. ^ FC Basel 1893 (2018). "Manuel Akanji wechselt zu Borussia Dortmund". FC Basel 1893. Retrieved 15 January 2018. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ "Wechsel perfekt! BVB bekommt Akanji sofort" kicker, 15 January 2018. Retrieved on 15 January 2018.
  8. ^ Borussia Dortmund (2018). "BVB verpflichtet Schweizer Nationalspieler Manuel Akanji". bvb.ch. Retrieved 15 January 2018. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  9. ^ "Marco Reus stars as breathtaking Borussia Dortmund put seven past Nuremberg". Bundesliga. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  10. ^ Template:Https://bvbbuzz.com/2019/11/11/three-borussia-dortmund-players-need-improve/2/
  11. ^ "Färöer Inseln 0:2 Schweiz". football.ch. Schweizerischer Fussballverband. 9 June 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2017. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  12. ^ [1][dead link]
  13. ^ "Manuel Akanji". European Football. 24 June 2018.
  14. ^ "Swiss football: FC Basel wins 3-0 over Sion in Geneva; police extra vigilant after game". allaboutgeneva.com. 25 May 2017. Archived from the original on 17 May 2019. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Manuel_Akanji&oldid=972062902"