Elohor Godswill Ekpolo (born 14 May 1995) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays for Cypriot First Division club AEK Larnaca. Mainly a right back, he can also play as a central defender.
 Godswill Ekpolo in 2012 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Elohor Godswill Ekpolo [1] | ||
| Date of birth | 14 May 1995 | ||
| Place of birth | Benin City, Nigeria | ||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | AEK Larnaca | ||
| Number | 22 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2005–2014 | Barcelona | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2014–2016 | Barcelona B | 28 | (0) |
| 2016–2018 | Fleetwood Town | 9 | (0) |
| 2018 | Mérida | 8 | (0) |
| 2018–2021 | Häcken | 100 | (4) |
| 2022–2023 | Norrköping | 28 | (0) |
| 2023–2024 | Apollon Limassol | 45 | (3) |
| 2024– | AEK Larnaca | 66 | (2) |
| International career | |||
| Nigeria U17 | |||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 14 June 2026 | |||
Playing career
editEkpolo moved with his family to Spain from Nigeria in 2002, and settled in Tarragona. He came through the youth team at FC Barcelona, and played for the reserve team and captained the under-21 team, before he was released in June 2016.[2]
After a trial at Wolverhampton Wanderers in July 2016,[3] he signed with English League One side Fleetwood Town on a contract of undisclosed length in November.[4] He scored his first goal for Fleetwood in an EFL Trophy tie against Leicester City Under-23s on 29 August 2017.[5]
Having been replaced at right-back by Everton loanee Gethin Jones, Ekpolo returned to Spain on 26 January 2018 and signed for Mérida AD of Segunda División B.[6]
On 29 June 2018, Ekpolo signed a six-month deal with Swedish Allsvenskan side BK Häcken,[7] and on 12 October it was extended to the end of 2021.[8]
Ekpolo featured regularly for AEK Larnaca during the 2025–26 campaign in the Cypriot First Division. After the season ended, he spoke positively about his time in Cyprus and discussed the uncertainty surrounding the next stage of his professional career.[9]
Statistics
editClub
edit- As of 16 July 2017
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| FC Barcelona B | 2015–16 | Segunda División B | 27 | 0 | — | — | — | 27 | 0 | |||
| Fleetwood Town | 2016–17 | League One | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 7 | 0 | ||
| 2017-18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 5[a] | 1 | 8 | 1 | |||
| Total | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 5 | 1 | 15 | 1 | |||
| Mérida | 2017-18 | Segunda División B | 8 | 0 | — | — | — | 8 | 0 | |||
| Häcken | 2018 | Allsvenskan | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | — | 18 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 26 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 2[b] | 0 | — | 35 | 1 | |||
| 2020 | 29 | 0 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 33 | 1 | ||||
| 2021 | 29 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2[c] | 0 | — | 34 | 4 | |||
| Total | 100 | 4 | 15 | 2 | 5 | 0 | — | 120 | 6 | |||
| Norrköping | 2022 | Allsvenskan | 28 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 32 | 0 | ||
| Apollon Limassol | 2022-23 | Cypriot First Division | 13 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 13 | 1 | ||
| 2023-24 | 31 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 35 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 44 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 48 | 3 | |||
| Career total | 216 | 7 | 24 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 250 | 10 | ||
- ↑ One appearance in EFL Cup, Four appearances in EFL Trophy
- 1 2 Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League
- ↑ Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa Conference League
Honours
editReferences
edit- ↑ "Retained List 2016-17" (PDF). English Football League. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
- ↑ Swarbrick, Rosie (7 November 2016). "Fleetwood swoop for former Barcelona player". Blackpool Gazette. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
- ↑ "Ex-Barcelona defender Godswill Ekpolo on trial at Wolves". Express and Star. 19 July 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
- ↑ "Godswill Ekpolo: Former Barcelona defender joins Fleetwood Town". BBC Sport. 7 November 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
- ↑ "Foxes Go Down To Fleetwood In Checkatrade Trophy". lcfc.com. 29 August 2017. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
- ↑ Swarbrick, Rosie (26 January 2018). "Fleetwood defender Godswill Ekpolo seals Mérida AD switch". Lancashire Evening Post. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
- ↑ "Presenterar ny back – under VM-uppehållet". Expressen (in Swedish). 29 June 2018. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
- ↑ Malmkvist, Alexander (12 October 2018). "Ekpolo har imponerat - nu förlänger Häcken: "Det var lite gambling - en 'videojugge'"" (in Swedish). Fotboll Skanalen. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
- ↑ "Ekpolo reflects on positive season with AEK Larnaca, future plans and life in Cyprus". Footy-Africa. 2 June 2026. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
- ↑ "First Youth League title goes Barcelona's way". UEFA. 14 April 2014. Archived from the original on 19 April 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2015.