Former Waterford striker Ishmael Akinade has signed for Vietnamese V.League 1 side, Ho Chi Minh City.
The 25-year old left the SSE Airtricity Premier Division club on Tuesday, with little prior warning of his exit. Waterford say Akinade's exit was by mutual agreement, with manager Alan Reynolds thanking the tall striker for his spell at the club.
Reynolds told the Waterford site, "We signed him [Akinade] after gaining promotion two seasons ago and he scored some important goals for the club. We thank him for the hard work and efforts over the past 18 months. He’ll be missed on and off the pitch and was a really popular member of the squad."
Few might have expected Akinade's next port of call. Ho Chi Minh City currently sit top of the V.League 1, two-points clear of Hanoi FC.
Akinade was plunged straight into action for the club this afternoon, scoring the second in a 3-3 Vietnamese Cup draw with The Cong. Ho Chi Minh would win the tie 4-3 on penalties.
CLB TP. Hồ Chí Minh bổ sung tiền đạo Ismaheel Akinade💥 OFFICIAL NEWS: CLB TP. Hồ Chí Minh bổ sung tiền đạo #IsmaheelAkinade
🔴 Cùng xem qua những giới thiệu về tân binh của chúng ta 🔥
#CLBbongdaTPHCM #HCMCfc #Cityland
Posted by Ho Chi Minh City FC on Friday, June 28, 2019
Speaking to Ho Chi Minh's Facebook, Akinade told the club's fans, "My first training session was quite intense, obviously the heat, I've never played in such heat. It was nice to get the know the guys and the coaching staff.
"It's good to know the ambition of the club. We're looking to win the league this year, and hopefully we can bring it home."
As the Herald reported earlier this month, the Nigerian-born Akinade had been fighting a deportation order signed by Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan.
Akinade arrived in Ireland as a 7-year old in 2001, and in 2014 was convicted of a criminal offence which informed his deportation order. The order was made in March of 2016, but had been delayed by Akinade's legal challenge.
He was due to present himself to the Garda National Immigration Bureau, but failed to attend.
It had been thought that his sudden departure from Waterford would see him return to Nigeria, but instead Akinade has opted to continue his career in Vietnam.
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
