Manchester City star Manuel Akanji reveals charity plan to elevate Nigerian kids

Manchester City defender Manuel Obafemi Akanji has revealed his plans to help Nigerian kids.

The 28-year-old, who primarily operates as a centre-back but also fills in at times as a full-back, was born in Switzerland to a Swiss mother and a Nigerian father.

Akanji had the option to play for Nigeria at international level due to his father’s nationality but decided to represent his birthplace, Switzerland, instead.

Despite his allegiance to the Swiss national team, he always finds a way to connect to his Nigerian heritage and acknowledgement of his roots.

After the completion of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) where Nigeria finished second, Akanji proudly displayed a tattoo of the Super Eagles emblem.

At Manchester City’s training facility, Hypebeast sat up with Akanji to talk about life in the Rainy City, what it’s like to be a dressing room dripper under Guardiola, the just-released Netflix documentary “Together: Treble Winners,” and other topics.

Speaking about his country of origin, he said, “In Nigeria, I like to help kids who didn’t have the same luck that I had with growing up in Switzerland.”

“My favourite artist is Burna Boy. I spoke with him after the Champions League final, I love listening to Afrobeats.”