By peterside Rejoice Eneky
Former Super Eagles striker Joseph Akpala has been appointed to the coaching staff of Belgian top-flight club, Club Brugge, as a player development coach. The 38-year-old Nigerian joins the Jupiler Pro League side from KV Kortrijk, where he served as an assistant manager for the past three seasons.
Club Brugge announced Akpala’s appointment via an official statement on Tuesday, highlighting his new role will focus on the individual growth and technical progression of first-team players under the leadership of head coach Nicky Hayen.
The appointment forms part of a wider reshuffle within the club’s technical department. Mitch Delcour has also been named head coach of Club NXT, following the exit of Robin Veldman. In addition, Jonathan Alves has been appointed to a newly created position of team development coach, where he will work on embedding a long-term vision across the coaching setup.
Akpala, a former Bendel Insurance striker, began his professional career in Nigeria before moving to Belgium in 2006 to join Charleroi. He went on to play for Club Brugge between 2008 and 2012, scoring consistently and finishing as the Belgian league’s top scorer in the 2007/2008 season with 16 goals.
His playing career spanned clubs across Europe and the Middle East, including stints at Werder Bremen (Germany), Karabükspor (Turkey), Al Faisaly (Saudi Arabia), and Dinamo Bucharest (Romania). He retired in 2021 after a 420-game career in which he scored 119 goals and provided 37 assists.
On the international stage, Akpala earned seven caps for the Nigerian national team, making his debut in 2008 and scoring his only goal in a 1-0 friendly win against France in 2009.
Since transitioning to coaching, Akpala has served as assistant coach in over 100 matches and briefly held a role as interim manager on five occasions.
His new position at Club Brugge marks a return to familiar ground and a significant step forward in his growing coaching career.
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