Nelson Akwari
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| Nelson Akwari | ||
| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nelson Ndukwe Akwari | |
| Date of birth | February 4, 1982 | |
| Place of birth | Houston, Texas, U.S. | |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | |
| Playing position | Defender | |
| Club information | ||
| Current club | Charleston Battery | |
| Number | 4 | |
| Youth clubs | ||
| 2000-02 | UCLA | |
| Senior clubs1 | ||
| Years | Club | App (Gls)* |
| 2002 2003-04 2003 2005-06 2007-2008 2008- |
MetroStars Columbus Crew → Cincinnati Riverhawks (loan) Real Salt Lake Charlotte Eagles Charleston Battery |
7 (0) 30 (0) 41 (0) 20 (0) 0 (0) |
| National team | ||
| USA U20 USA U23 |
||
|
1 Senior club appearances and goals |
||
Nelson Ndukwe Akwari (born February 4, 1982 in Houston, Texas) is a Nigerian American soccer defender, who currently plays for Charleston Battery of the USL First Division.
[edit] High school and college
In high school, Nelson Akwari went to Strake Jesuit, a private school in Houston known for its prestigious soccer program. As a teenager, Akwari attended USSF's Bradenton Academy, where he trained with other Under-17 national teamers like Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley, and Bobby Convey.
Although he considered turning pro, Akwari instead went to UCLA to play college soccer. He stayed at UCLA two years, starting every game as a freshman in 2000, and being named second-team All Pac-10 as a sophomore.
[edit] Professional career
Akwari left college after his sophomore year to pursue opportunities in Europe, but when nothing came of them, he signed a Project-40 contract with MLS late in the 2002 season. Akwari was put into a lottery, which the MetroStars won; although Akwari appeared in seven games, he was not particularly impressive, and was traded during the offseason to the Columbus Crew. Akwari saw little playing time in 2003, as well, appearing in 11 games but starting only five for a mediocre Crew team, while spending a lot of time on loan to A-League's Cincinnati Riverhawks. However, in his third year in the league, Akwari began to show much of the promise that he had as a youth national teamer - he took possession of the starting right back position midseason, and remained there for the rest of the year, ending the season with 16 starts as the Crew won the MLS Supporters' Shield.
After the 2004 season, Akwari was selected tenth overall by Real Salt Lake in the Expansion Draft, reuniting him with old coach John Ellinger. Akwari played 41 games over the 2005 and 2006 seasons, but was waived by RSL during the 2007 pre-season.
Akwari signed for USL-2 side Charlotte Eagles in April 2007, and scored on his debut against Crystal Palace Baltimore on April 20, 2007.
[edit] Junior national teams
Akwari has represented the United States at the U-17, U-20 and U-23 levels, playing at the 2001 World Youth Championship in Argentina, but has not played any games for the teams since 2002.
