Akpan impresses early in Bobcat career

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This article was published 12/09/2023 (1000 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Young and getting it.

It’s fitting how Ndifreke Akpan’s nickname describes his Brandon University Bobcats men’s soccer career so far.

The 21-year-old Nigerian striker was dubbed “Yagi” — short for the aforementioned phrase — as a child and it has stuck with him ever since.

He’s a rare rookie to jump in as a starter on the veteran-heavy BU side but he certainly earned it. After sitting out of the team’s pre-season opener in Red Deer, Alta., he racked up a first-half hat trick in Brandon’s 8-2 win over Northwestern Polytechnic the next day.

“No one knew who was going to step up and take a starting role potentially,” BU co-captain Nathan Chubaty said after Saturday’s 1-1 draw against St. Boniface.

“We have a lot of guys from last year but we always have a healthy competition throughout the team, which is BU culture. We want to keep working hard and get to winning titles.

“What he did well was staying ready and when he got his opportunity he didn’t miss, scored a hat trick in that game. He’s going to be great for us.”

Akpan started playing club soccer at age eight and stayed at an elite level through high school. He heard about BU through his uncle who lives in Brandon and encouraged his family to send him over for his education.

The five-foot-10, 200-pound forward felt right at home in a physical season opener against Les Rouges, a long-awaited rematch of the 2022 Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference final between two teams that still don’t like each other much and expressed that physically.

“Back home, we play very strong. If you’re not fit, you’re not strong, you don’t dare come onto the pitch,” Akpan said.

“You can see some Nigerians playing in the Premier League, you see how strong they are.

“(Saturday was) just a normal game.”

Akpan liked what he saw from the Bobcats early, as they controlled play and built up to a gorgeous Zach Wood goal just before halftime. Les Rouges equalized in the 81st minute on a solid set piece.

Akpan was a touch away from changing that outcome a few times, however, displaying breakaway speed coupled with strength to outmuscle defenders for contested balls.

He scored his first regular-season goal in Sunday’s 5-1 win over the Assiniboine Community College Cougars.

As he gets comfortable in the Bobcats’ lineup, he’ll put their potent offence one step closer to uncontainable.

“He doesn’t get down on himself. He’s a fairly quiet guy but on the field makes his presence known,” Chubaty said.

“He’s got great speed, great agility, he’s able to take players on and what impressed me is his patience. Some players with a lot of speed want to drive to the net and shoot right away. He’ll drive, fake it, cut inside, maybe find someone else.

“He’s got a lot of great attributes and is going to continue to grow.”

The Bobcat women bounced back from their 1-0 loss to St. Boniface to blank Assiniboine 7-0 on Sunday.

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