Kevin Akpoguma got his first assist of the new Bundesliga season in Hoffenheim’s 3-2 defeat at Borussia Dortmund on Friday night, Completesports.com reports.
It was Hoffenheim’s first defeat of the season after three games played.
Akpoguma set up teammate Munas Dabbur to bring the score to 2-2 in the 90th minute.
Also Read: 2022 World Cup Qualifier: Liberia Unveil Squad For Super Eagles Clash
But Dortmund’s Norwegian striker Erling Haaland scored the winner in one minute of added time.
The defeat leaves Hoffenheim temporarily in fourth position on four points in the league table.
Akpoguma opened his goals account for the new topflight campaign in last weekend’s 2-2 home draw against Union Berlin.
He was recently invited by Gernot Rohr ahead of this month’s 2022 World Cup qualifiers against Liberia and Cape Verde.
By James Agberebi
17 Comments
Jarrrrr….!!! And some people wanted to kill G.Rohr for playing this guy at RB. A player who was best youth player in Germany playing as a RB. 1 goal and 1 assist already in the Bundesliga this season playing from the same RB position. Yet same people will claim Rohr isnt adventurous….LMAOo0.
@Dr Drey. The reason for the complaints is that there are other natural right back in the team who are also doing well. Even akpoguna said he orefered centre back position. He has struggled at right back for us.
Moreover, you should expect people to criticize, it’s normal. You defend him as if he does not mistakes. As if he is 100% perfect. Let there constructive criticism now. It’s good for him..
I havent said anyone shouldnt criticize anybody….far from it. But as you just said up there, Let there constructive criticism….!
But 90% of the so-called criticisms against him are usually unfounded, unverifiable and most times self contradictory….LMAOOoo…that’s what makes it laughable most times. People say things out of sheer hatred and cannot prove it with facts and figures. When you now provide facts and figures that prove otherwise, they take offence because their ill-thought criticisms have been rubbished.
An example in this instance is that of Akpoguma. The boy has naturally been a fullback. He was even THE BEST YOUTH PLAYER IN GERMANY….a full back being the BEST PLAYER….just a few years ago. Just like most fullbacks, he grew his game to being able to also play as a CB in a 3 man central defence. The same coach who is rigid and unadventurous chose to try him at RB in the national team to see what else he could bring to the table in the national team…the fact that it didnt work out is not his fault….but hey, some people just have to pour their frustrations on someone ey…LMAOOo. The same Akpoguma that was unfathomable to be seen playing in RB position now has 1 goal and 1 assist from the same RB position in the Bundesliga this season….yet you will hear lies like “Rohr plays players out of position”. The same way an Etebo who has been played as a box-to-box midfielder since he set his feet in Europe is also being played “out of position” as a box-to-box CM in the SE by Rohr…..LMAOooo
I guess Akpoguma is also being played “out of position” by his club coach too now.
@Zeus… European football is not same as African football in how physicality and muscle is allowed… How did Akpoguma fare in RB in the games he played for us… So you want him to continue there? When we have Aina, Shehu, Ebuehi… You are now supporting him in RB and when we tell you a player is expected to be able to play all positions at the back now as a defender you will bring no nomenclatures like natural position… If he prefers CB why can’t he be played there? Don’t you think he is more useful there to us? Right now he is faster than Balogun… and for me a better player than Ekong. So why dont our coach use him there? You will always see Ekong become shaky whenever he comes against fast, tricky and direct playing forwards… Ekong has issues and for me has not improved from what we saw of him in WC 2018 and Afcon 2019. Let Rohr be bold and use Kevin in CB. You can’t have the sort of quality we have in Aina and Ebuehi and play Akpoguma there benching those ones… Akpoguma can’t cope in RB against African attackers… We have seen it already and we all pitied him when he played there… We should allow players master the position in which they are comfortable for us…
What short of quality do they have that he doesn’t have? Criticize constructively the coach that use him knew what he saw in training and he knows the kind tactics he wanted to use. In fact he had already gave his reason for using the guy in one of his interview then. Yes, the guy may not perform well but it could do to the fact that he is just learning Africa football since it wasn’t long that made his debut for Nigeria. As for Ekong, am always marveled at d way u used to criticize someone is playing week in week out for an Epl team the same way when he was in Italy for Udenese and u say such a player is not good simply cos u dislike him. Haba your own too much @ Jimmyball
Satan’s acolyte…..his lying majesty. Show me where I have said Akpoguma should or shouldnt continue at right back….? And if he continues at right back what is wrong with it…? I thought you were yelling he is being played out of position before……is his coach at Hoffenheim also playing him out of position now…..LMAOOoo. Did he not prefer CB before his coach at Hoffenheim played him at right back and he has delivered in 2 matches what he hasn’t delivered in 2 seasons already…???
European football is not same as African football, but our 2 best RBs at the moment are both European born and bread….LMAOoo…..what an irony….LMAOoo…what an anticlimax. Funny enough, Ola Aina also took time to settle…we all knew how he fumbled and missed the plane to Russia. Ebuehi even till now hasnt found his full feet in the SE yet. That shows its normal for these guys to stutter before settling in their new environment. But you have to keep giving them time and chance until they get to acclimatize.
As much as Akpoguma plays as both RB and at CB at club level, Rohr is at liberty to try him out at both positions also in the national team. And that is the risk and adventure Rohr is taking which people blinded by hatred NEVER see. It is only when their favoured players are not called up or when Rohr has not chopped and changed at least 75% of is squad from the previous one that they all start biting trees about Rohr not taking risks…..LMAOooo
All your oversabi cries and noises about Rohr not being adventurous or Rohr playing players out of position are have been shoved into the soakaway by club coaches…..LMAOoooo.
At club level
Akpoguma – RB
Etebo – Box-to-box CM
Shehu – RB
Iwobi – Wings/10
Aribo – Utility
LMAOOoo….cant you see club coaches are shoving your fallacies down your throats already…..LMAOOoo
Gof help Rohr to play Akpoguma at right back against Liberia or Cape Verde… then we will learn to see African football different.
I would love to see a 5&6 pairing of Akpoguma & Balogun on day
For now the best formation I would have Rohr to play is 3-5-2.
(Akpoguma, Balogun, Awaziem)
(Ebuehi, Aribo, Ndidi,Onyeka,Iwobino, Aina)
(Terem, Osimehen). Any African team will receive thrashing
@ayo your players are eleven in number without including the goal keeper. You will have to take one player out from the midfield.
@ Ayo. That formation looks pretty sweet but not for those type of players. This your wonderful formation is for players with quick interchange of passes ability and players that can hold the ball really good without losing easily, otherwise your team will become a crying father Christmas. We are talking of players in the likes of iniesta, Zavi, pogba etc. Now concerning Akpoguma playing right back, I think that has always been the norm. Right backs are most of the time centre backs as well. This is the edge Akpoguma n Awaziem has over Ebuehi quite unfortunately. Ebuehi is one of my Fav SE players but just a shame he has these type of players to contend with. Also with all these convid nonsense about red, blue, green, black zones,etc,it makes good sense to bring in players that can easily fit in numerous positions.
In as much I do agree@Glory, with having players who play and adapt to different roles; I would never leave out an Ebuehi. I simply love his style of play, his attacking intent. If well nurtured , he could turn out to be in the calibre of Trent-Arnold, Reece James etc.
I would rather leave out a Jamilu Collins and have Ola Aina deputise as a certain left back to Zaidu Sanusi( or in reverse).
To be fair, he is consistent but I have never be sold on Collins.
But that’s just me. The coach has made his call; I respect it. Let’s see how it goes..
@ Hush. Welcome back. Truly miss your comments outta here. I m 100% with you regarding Collins. He is the odd player in that list. Don’t wanna stir up some distraction for the team reason for letting that lie low. HE SHOULDN’T BE THIS TEAM WHILE EBUEHI IS SITTING IN THE STANDBY. ROHR ISNT PERFECT. HE GOT IT TOTALLY WRONG HERE, except maybe Ebuehi asked for it or other things we not aware of.
Greetings@ Glory ..
Totally concur with your submission..
All these noise of Ebuehi should have been in d team at the expense of this and that is just a distraction. This guy is not 100% fit and you all know that just cos u like him that is why u want him at all cost. Putting him on standby means d coach still see something in him but this is a coach that belief on merit. Allow the guy to settle down well in his new club and reach top form then he can fight for place in SE.
How do you know Ebuehi is not 100 percent fit?
I could have sworn he played against Napoli just recently?!
Humour me this; so if he isn’t fully fit then why bother putting him on a standby list? The match is just a couple of days away,so that gesture would be pointless.. unless things have changed currently..
And appreciating a good player always comes from a place of objectivity rather than emotional. The basis for liking this particular player ( hence the clamour for his inclusion) is all on his quality and effort on the field of play which he does better than few on the list, and this is my opinion. It takes nothing from the rest, after all, every Nigerian player out there are loved in similar faction seamlessly.
And as stated in an earlier piece,the coach has made his choice, we would respect and support it, hoping for the best but be rest assured,one shall always be objective on the call for the best , that is what we should always aim for. That sounds like good noise to me.
There is a reason why central defence is called the “heart of defence”. Mistakes by fullbacks/wingbacks in most cases, are not as lethal as those made by centre backs. That is why central defence is seen as a more sensitive position than fullback. This explains why Akpoguma was played at right back. The same with Balogun, he started as a right back under Keshi.
With this background, it becomes logical why we cannot afford to thrust Akpoguma into the deep end, especially at this early stage of his SE career. Rohr would have played him in centre back right away if he is a very experienced and accomplished centre back who has played centre back at the very highest level. Just for instance, if Van Dijk were to play for us, he would be played in centre back right away because he is accomplished in that position. Akpoguma would be gradually eased into central defence. But I have a feeling he would be thrust into the deep end sooner rather than later, because of the expected absence of Ekong and Balogun after Liberia match.
Ebuehi is very good offensively, but defensively he is not solid. Similarly, Aina does relatively well offensively, but the same can’t be said defensively. The truth is that defense is the primary duty of a full back…….. offense is a bonus (jara). This explains Rohr’s preference for Akpoguma over Aina and Ebuehi. If you take your time to re-watch Nigeria vs Sierra Leone, Algeria and Tunisia matches, where Akpoguma starred at right back, you will find out he was solid defensively……but did little, offensive wise