NPFL: Akwa United unveil 17 players for new season

Former Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) champions Akwa United on Tuesday revealed they have acquired the services of seventeen new players for the upcoming football season, www.aclsports.com reports.

The Promise Keepers finished one position above the relegation zone at the end of the last football season and will be hoping to avoid such a dogfight which they were involved in for the major parts of last season.

Akwa United have now brought in a number of players that have played for neighbours Rivers United in the past two years. Key among them are two goalkeepers Seidu Mutawakilu and Darlintin Ovunda.

The trio of Endurance Ebedebiri, Chiamaka Madu and Paul Acquah played for Rivers United quite recently although the latter left for Libya during the last season. The Ghanaian has now returned to Nigeria to join Akwa United.

Also returning to Nigeria to join the 2017 Cup champions are former FC Ifeanyi Ubah striker Chijioke Alaekwe and former Enyimba winger Reuben Bala while Beninese Mare Abson also joins United.

As is the norm, there are also a few players of Akwa-Ibom origin being snapped up by the team and this time, they include former Dakkada left back Ubong Williams and former Junior international Charles Etim.

The Mohammed BabaGanaru coached side have also brought in impressive midfielders Samuel Matthew (Doma United) and Stephen Wisdom (Bendel Insurance) as well as little known Olakunle Akala and Kunle Oyetosho.

The list of newly signed players is completed by defenders Eric Oguocha who joins from Plateau United, Samuel Agu from Giant Brillars and Abdullahi Ferinyaro from Gateway United.

The NPFL got underway last weekend with the traditional curtain-raiser but Akwa United will travel to Lobi Stars for their first game of the season this weekend in a game billed for the Lafia Township Stadium, Lobi Stars’ temporary home ground for the season.