By Victor Kanayo
Former Nigerian international Joseph Akpala has been appointed as an assistant coach of a first division clubside in Belgium KV Kortrijk.
The erstwhile Super Eagles and Bendel Insurance striker Heritage Times HT gathered, was announced alongside Jimmy Hempte, and have joined Adnan Custovic’s technical staff at KV Kortrijk, the club announced on its official website on Friday night.
“For Jimmy Hempte it is a return to the familiar nest. Jimmy came to KV Kortrijk as a player in 2005. He made the advance to the first division and was a basic player in the team that won the title in the second division in 2008. After achieving play-off 1 in 2010, he left for Roda JC in the Eredivisie after 5 seasons and 145 matches for KVK.
“Joseph Akpala started his Belgian striker career at Sporting Charleroi, where he won the top scorer title in 2008. He then scored 56 goals in 168 games for Club Brugge. After passages in Germany and Turkey, Akpala was also active in Belgium at KV Oostende,” the club said in a statement.
Akpala is fondly remembered by the football loving Nigerians for scoring the lone goal that condemned France to a defeat in an international friendly game played in Paris in 2007.
He made his debut for Nigeria against South Africa in 2008, and last played in 2013 in a FIFA Confederation Cup.
The 36-year-old former Club Brugge forward thrived in the Belgian league and is expected to contribute his quota to the development of players at the club.
He last played in 2021 after his contract with a Romanian club Dinamo București ended that year.
