Babatunde Akinsola

Hailing from Lagos, Nigeria, Babatunde Jimoh Akinsola joined the AFS-Futebol SAD squad this season. Trained at Valiant FC, Tunde also has played at Vasalunds IF and Real Valladolid CF. The winger, who can play on both sides of the pitch, belongs to the 2003 generation and was an Under-17 international for his home country.

Babatunde Akinsola is no different from the standard Nigerian winger: quick, powerful, electric, and agile. With a mesomorph profile, the AFS striker stands out on the pitch for his ability to speed up the game, whether in attacking space, in one-on-one situations, or short combination situations and bursting through the back of the defence. He’s a player who, adding the physical part of his game to the rest, can cause difficulties for any defensive line.

Although he is ambidextrous, Tunde’s left foot is his favoured stick. The Nigerian is a player capable of creating individually, given his technical quality. Usually starting from the left flank, the winger can set up one-on-one situations and, above all through body feints, succeed against direct opponents. However, his game isn’t just about that. He’s capable of coming inside (left half-space) when the full-back on his side curls outside and of creating short combinations through delicate touches on the ball that generate constant ‘tabelinhas’ and ‘toco y me voy’. This last action allows him to explode into space and then look for a cross or a finish. As he plays with both feet, it’s easy for him to produce any action in the defining moments of the final third. In other words, depending on his body position and the area of the pitch where he is, he can either look for any type of cross (he likes to exploit the delayed cross) or he can look for the finish (he usually finishes with power).

From a psychological point of view, Babatunde is a player who never gives up on his purpose on the pitch: to destabilise the defensive line – the fact that he always directs his receptions forward is indicative of what he’s looking for. In the minutes of the game I’ve watched, it’s clear to see how he’s always looking for more, even when his opponents are superior – an example is the game against FC Arouca where Tiago Esgaio cancelled out his outbursts. This also emphasises his decision-making. In other words, since he takes more risks, he’s more likely to make mistakes. However, judging a player like Akinsola for trying to create something is unfair, as his nature points to that. Once he has continuity of minutes, the percentage of mistakes could be lower and, with it, his performance will increase.

With Vasco Lopes, John Mercado, Yair Mena, or Issiaka Kamate, there is plenty of competition on both sides of the AFS-Futebol SAD attacking corridors. However, the season is long and Babatunde Akinsola will certainly have room to show his form – he’s been getting some minutes as a substitute this early in the season. Realising how many minutes he gets over the next few months will be important if the Nigerian is to start producing goals and assists on the pitch. Looking only at his potential, I believe that the player in question has the interesting ability to reach the top clubs in Belgium’s top flight – a favourable context for players like Tunde. After that, only the player’s performance will dictate his future.