Giggsy was one of the worst posters on BS but after awhile he became comical. I've dealt with Akale on a few different times professionally (for profiles on him and to contribute for profiles on others), he's always been really cool and thoughtful. I remember when I was writing about Cameron Carter-Vickers after he won some tournament with the U.S. U-18 team. It was his first USYNT call-up. I remember speaking to Akale about it and I asked (for no real reason) if he knew that CCV's dad played in the NBA. Akale, who is a big NBA fan, didn't know that but thought that was beyond cool about CCV. We ended up talking about other sports for quite a while. I hope Akale lands on his feet. He's gonna be 24 during the next season. Still no reason to discount him. Look at Eryk Williamson. Brutal loan in Europe and little playing time before this season. He's finally doing okay.
do you think he stays in Europe or comes back stateside? Seems like the type of player who could have success at a mid table Eredivisie club, or maybe a top half Danish club....
I think he's going to go wherever he can get the most money. At this age, the money is big part of it.
I've neglected checking in on this thread long enough that I think I owe @Giggsy1986 an apology. I had no idea this had turned into "let's all take shots at the thread-banned poster" week. Not a good look, folks, regardless of what led up to it. I'll leave this thread open while we see where Akale goes. Hope he lands on his feet and moves on well from there. In the meantime, please make comments about the player rather than other posters. Thanks!
Akale always, to me, had a spark that made him fun to watch. I still haven’t completely given up hope. If anywhere, I’d like him to end up in MLS so I can still watch him. He won’t be expensive wherever he goes. I think the people projecting him as USL tier are underestimating him a bit.
He’s almost 24 and has never played soccer at an mls level. Could he? Maybe. But that would be a step up in his career.
Some news perhaps... Not sure how legitimate this source is, but it claims that Mukwelle and his brother both are with Pafos FC in Cyprus. This one says he is on trial and will stay if he impresses.
Signed in Cyprus: https://themasports.tothemaonline.c...kypriaka-salonia-ta-aderfia-akale-anakoinosi/
Cyprus isn't a bad springboard if he can impress and maybe have a shot at a CL qualifier or two. He's a tricky player and hopefully he can show well. Love his energy and attitude too, as others have mentioned
Let's be real. The league is incredibly top heavy. APOEL and Omonia have won 15 of the last 20 titles. If Pafos qualifies for the CL, it'll be by winning the league for the first time and the last time a team with zero previous titles won it all was in 1991. Mukwelle is not going to get any CL minutes in Cyprus.
Yeah, those who make that claim need to show their work. AFAIK, there is not a particularly robust track record of Cypriot league players moving into significantly better leagues. That being said, a lot of the players who are imported to Cyprus are older players on the downswing of their career who arrived on frees, and who don't have any growth potential or resale value. Akale, of course, is much younger than that group. That doesn't mean we should be writing off Akale, but we also shouldn't pretend that Cyprus is traditionally a springboard.
Transfers from the Cypriot league during the current transfer window, in order to provide something of an idea of which other leagues the players move on to: https://www.transfermarkt.com/statistik/transferfensterdetail?land_id=188
Step one is to get into the league and play regularly and play well. Step two is to get poached by a big boy, win/compete for titles and play in a continental competition. Step three is to play for a team in a better league. It's really not rocket science but a steady, predictable progression, one where we can find tons of examples from all over the world. I'm in no way suggesting Akale will do any of the above, but he at least has a path in front of him, rather than the will they/won't they Villarreal limbo he was in before. Add to the fact that Cyprus is a lovely country and seems to pay their players on time and you have a nice mix for a guy who has yet to make his mark
Other teams in Cyprus, the Greek Super League, various Eastern European sides, and lower tiers of Spain, Portugal, etc.? No one wants to hear this but Mukwelle's best move at this point is probably to come back to the US. Rag on MLS all you want, but it's certainly a higher level than the other options. Plus it shouldn't be too hard to convince an MLS team to spend on a player with his pedigree. And since we've already heard extensive evidence that he's the most technical American player alive... (Sorry, I couldn't resist)
With both Akale brothers now confirmed to be at Pafos, and with relative lax work permit restrictions, does anyone know a good way to stream games from the Cypriot league? Could be a good thing to find