The former Germany youth international captain is one of the few German-born players in the Nigeria national team after he made his debut against Algeria in October 2020
Akpoguma, mainly a physically imposing central defender but who could also play at rightback, has matured over time to become one of the mainstays of his German clubside.
His first game of 2020 came on January 26, when he clocked in 90 minutes in Hoffenheim’s away 3-0 win against Werder Bremen.
Last season, he made 18 appearances in the Bundesliga after a loan spell at Hannover 96.
This term, he has already appeared for Hoffenheim 13 times as they fight to get to the top half of the league.
He has proved to be a very dependable and effecitive defender who gets the job done.
Akpoguma enjoys the confidence of Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr, which means he will play a big role to bring stability to the national team’s defence in a New Year busy with World Cup and AFCON qualifiers.
