Manuel Akanji: The could have

Akanji is a Switzerland international who plays his club football in the colours of Borrusia Dortmund. The 25-year-old was born in Wiesendangen, a municipality in the district of Winterthur, Switzerland.

He was born to a Swiss mother and a Nigerian father but has always been part of the Switzerland setup from youth even though he was eligible to represent Nigeria.

He started his football career in Winterthur. In 2015, he moved to arguably the most prominent side in Swiss football- FC Basel, where he established himself as a starter, adding two league titles and a league cup to his name.

The Swiss international moved to the Signal Idunna park in January 2018.  With that move, he became the fifth most expensive signing for the Dortmund outfit, and it wasn’t a surprise considering the kind of promise he had shown at Basel.

Akanji struggled in his first season, but he slowly picked up his form, and he is now fulfilling the promise he showed in his earlier years.

He is a stout defender at 25 years of age, and with time he has established himself as a mainstay at the heart of Dortmund defence.

He was very key in the Round of 16 triumph over France at the ongoing Euros, and the young defender managed to hold his own against some of the best strikers in the world.

When he was called upon during the penalty shoot-out, he didn’t disappoint as he converted his strike from the spot.

In the current Super Eagles fold, there is no other player with as much quality as Akanji, and we are left to rue our fate as we fantasise about what he could have added for us with the kind of quality that the lad possesses.