Football star, Ismahil “Izzy” Akinade who was a key striker for Ireland soccer, Waterford FC was convicted of a serious offence but have decided to leave the country voluntarily after failing to stop his planned deportation back to Nigeria.
Akinade had joined the club ahead of the 2018 Airtricity League season.
He scored eight goals for Waterford, helping them to finish in fourth place.
He had signed a contract last June to remain with the club until the end of this season.
Akinade popularly known as ‘Izzy’ was born in Nigeria in 1994 and moved to Ireland in 2001. Akinade’s mother and siblings are Irish citizens by naturalisation.
He was the subject of a deportation order signed by Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan and his lawyers fought it through the courts. However, in May 2019, the High Court rejected his application for a judicial review of the deportation order.
Akinade was expected to present himself at the Garda national immigration bureau on June 13 but failed to attend. Lawyers for the State are currently trying to establish officially that he has returned to Nigeria.
WHY HIS SIBLINGS AND MOTHER HAVE A STAY AND HE DOESN’T
The High Court was told Akinade had leave to remain in the State as a dependant of his mother until he reached 16 years in 2010.
After that, he received permission in his own right for successive periods until mid-2014. That year he was convicted of a serious criminal offence and was informed in 2015 of the minister’s proposal to make a deportation order against him. His solicitors made representations against the order, but the deportation order was made in March 2016.
So the question now is, If Izzy moves back to Nigeria, would he carry on with his football career?
