Nigeria defender Kevin Akpoguma may be facing a major career crossroads after reports emerged that his Bundesliga club, TSG Hoffenheim, are prepared to offload him during the January transfer window.
Former Nigeria youth international Sambo Choji in an exclusive interview with Footy-Africa expressed belief that Hoffenheim may be making a mistake by allowing Akpoguma to leave, insisting the defender’s experience could still be valuable to the team.
“I just got the news a while ago from a friend of mine whom I played with and who follows the Bundesliga that they are looking to offload him,” the FIFA U-17 World Cup winner said. “It came as a shock to me, to be honest because he has been a loyal servant and his experience can help the team, especially as they have started well.
“Am Ende hatten wir etwas Pech, aber die erste Hälfte bricht uns das Genick. Dadurch verlieren wir das Spiel. Wir müssen jetzt zusammenstehen, das machen wir. Jetzt müssen die Ergebnisse kommen, sonst wird es schwierig.”
🗣️ Kevin Akpoguma pic.twitter.com/W7tAZfQJoF
— TSG Hoffenheim (@tsghoffenheim) January 11, 2025
“I think they have a lot of young players who will need his guidance, and he can also be a reliable backup for the team when someone else is out. But then, you will have to reason with the club from a sporting perspective. Maybe they want to ease him off their wage bill and reinforce in January so they can compete.” he added.
“However, if you ask me, based on my experience in Germany, they need experienced heads, especially in the second round of the season. They will surely need legs on the defensive side of things, but then as a Nigerian, I hope he gets another club so he can play more games,” the former Saarbrücken winger concluded.
Hoffenheim currently sit fifth on the Bundesliga table with 26 points after 14 matches and remain firmly in contention for European qualification, a push Choji believes Akpoguma could still have played a role in.
The 30-year-old centre-back, who is out of contract in the summer, is reportedly not in Hoffenheim’s long-term plans, with the club having decided against offering him a new deal.
Akpoguma, who has earned eight caps for the Super Eagles, has featured in just two matches for the Bundesliga side this season, a situation that has prompted the club to consider cashing in now rather than risk losing him for free at the end of the campaign.
Alles zu #Akpo2024
⬇️⬇️⬇️
🌐 https://t.co/s1eRRKFUGg pic.twitter.com/5APvRt8SPu
— TSG Hoffenheim (@tsghoffenheim) January 15, 2020
According to reports in Germany, Hoffenheim are open to listening to offers for the Karlsruhe-born defender as they look to restructure their squad ahead of the second half of the season.
