*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 31 December 2023 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 24 September 2022
Alexander Oluwatayo Akande (Chinese: 艾力士; born 9 February 1989), more commonly known as Alex Akande or Alex Tayo Akande, is a professional footballer who plays as a striker. Born in Nigeria, he played for the Hong Kong national football team.
Akande returned to Tai Chung in the 2009–10 season. After scoring 3 goals in 12 matches for Tai Chung in half a season, he joined Kitchee in mid-season following the departure of Kitchee's Spanish striking duo Albert Virgili Fort and Raul Torres.
The transfer also gave Akande an opportunity to play in the 2010 Lunar New Year Cup as he played for Kitchee against Pegasus Invitation team and Korean side Pohang Steelers. In two 45 minutes matches, Akande scored against Pegasus Invitation in a 1–0 win and assisted his teammates in a 1–1 draw against the 2009 AFC Champions League winner. Despite losing the title to Pohang Steelers due to one less goal scored, Akande was named the MVP of the tournament.
Akande scored 4 more goals for Kitchee in local competitions during his half-season spell .
Tai Chung
Akande once again returned to Tai Chung and played a full season for the team in the 2010–11 season. His 3 goals in 19 matches were not enough to save Tai Chung from relegation.
Akande found his scoring touch soon after joining Hong Kong Sapling, where he scored 9 goals in 12 matches. However the HKFA decided not to continue running Hong Kong Sapling after the team failed to avoid relegation. As a result, Hong Kong Sapling were disbanded after the season.
Tai Po
Akande joined another Hong Kong First Division club Tai Po in the 2012–13 season, in which he played one of his best seasons in his career. He scored 5 goals including a hat-trick against Tuen Mun in the quarter-final for the 2012–13 Senior Shield that contributed the team's first ever title-triumph in the tournament. He finished the season with a tally of 19 goals in all competitions.
His performance also earned him a place in the Hong Kong League XI for the 2013 Lunar New Year Cup where he played against Busan I'Park from Korea and Muangthong United from Thailand in this annual International tournament.
However, despite his prolific performance up front, the team's vulnerable defense cost them the place in the top-tier league. Tai Po were involved in a relegation battle-turmoil in which totally 6 teams were fighting to avoid relegation on the final day of the league. He opened the score for Tai Po in a huge battle against Yokohama FC Hong Kong, another team in this turmoil. Yet Tai Po conceded a heart-breaking final-second goal which cancelled their lead and sent them to relegation dramatically.
Second spell at Kitchee
Following the relegation of Tai Po, Akande rejoined Kitchee. The club began the season with an International exhibition match with Manchester United.[1] He had the chance to play against the defending Premier League champions, and scored a brilliant goal in the 2–5 defeat as he turned Man United's defender Alex Buttner inside out before firing home.
Akande also had his first opportunity in continental competition as he was chosen as one of the four foreign players for the 2013 AFC Cup quarter-final match against Al-Faisaly from Jordan. Kitchee lost the 1st leg at home in a 1–2 defeat to the Jordanian side with Akande once equalized the score in the early 2nd half. Kitchee were eliminated from the competition with a same scoreline in the 2nd leg.
The season ended well for both Kitchee and Akande, as Kitchee had an invincible season as the league champions with 16 points above the runners-up Pegasus, while Akande added 10 more goals to his tally in all local competitions.
Kitchee began their new season with an international exhibition match against PSG[2] at Hong Kong Stadium on 29 July 2014. Akande once again found the back of the net against a European giant in this 2–6 defeat with Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored a hat-trick.
The same season Kitchee appointed former Spanish International and Atletico Madrid goalkeeper José Francisco Molina as their head coach. Aiming for higher success in the 2014 AFC Cup and the 2015 AFC Champions League Playoffs. However Akande picked up an injury in a training session in early season which forced him to miss the rest of the season. After a successful surgery he went to the United States for his rehab with specialized physical therapy. The rehab was a success and he was ready to return for the next season.
Having made only a few appearances for Dalian, Akande was released by the club. On 31 March 2021, Kitchee confirmed that Akande has rejoined the club.[5]
Akande was born in Nigeria, but after living for more than seven years in Hong Kong, he obtained his Hong Kong residency and became eligible to play for the Hong Kong national team in October 2015.[7] He was immediately called up by the Hong Kong national team for the friendly match against Myanmar on 7 November 2015 at Mongkok Stadium. Akande made his international debut in this match and scored his first international goal for Hong Kong in the 5–0 victory.[8] He soon made his international debut for Hong Kong in a friendly match against Myanmar on 7 November 2015. He also scored on his debut in this 5–0 win.[9]
Akande started in the 2018 World Cup AFC qualification second round match against Maldives on 12 November 2015 in which Hong Kong defeated the home side in a narrow 1–0 win. He then played against China and Qatar in the same competition. Hong Kong finished the group stage as the 2nd runners-up and secured a direct entry to the 2019 Asian Cup qualifying third round.
Since making his International debut and the managerial change of Kitchee in mid-season, Akande has recovered his scoring form before the injury by scoring 10 goals in 18 matches including 2 goals in the League Cup final victory which saw Kitchee lifted this trophy for the historical fifth times.
