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World Cup South Africa 2010
History - Groups - Players - Venues
Favorite Players by Country (Germany 2006)
Group D - Angola:
Akwa (Fabrice Alcebiade Maieco)
Place of Birth: Benguela, Angola
Date of Birth: May 30th, 1977
Position: Striker
Clubs: Alverca, Benfica, Al Wakra
He is Angola’s longest-serving international, holding the record for the most appearances for the southern African country, and the most goals.
The powerful striker was once described as the ‘new Eusebio’ when he first moved to Portugal as a teenage prodigy, but his club career in Europe did not accomplish the heights expected of him.
Born in Benguela, he was at local club Nacional Benguela for his junior football career and appeared in their first team when he was just 15, but very quickly departed for Portugal as the newest sensation from the former colonies.
At Benfica, he was handed the heavy burden of being compared to Eusebio, but played in just four matches for the Lisbon giants before being farmed out to Alverca for two seasons and then Academica de Coimbra.
Akwa was introduced to international football in January 1995 at the age of 17, thrown in at the deep end by the wily coach Carlos Alhinho. One year later he appeared at the CAF African Cup of Nations finals in South Africa and has played at both Angola’s subsequent appearances at the continental championship.
In 1998, Akwa transferred to Qatar and signed for Al Walkhra, then Al Saad before spending four seasons at Qatar SC. He played for the last two clubs in the Asian Champions League, but he was banned for a 6-month period by the Asian Football Confederation due to an involvement in an ugly brawl with Al Saad in 2002.
Playing in the Middle East has brought rich rewards to a player who arrived in Qatar before the recent influx of world stars. Akwa is both the captain and attacking inspiration for his Angola Team, despite the emergence of talents such as Flavio, Love and Mantorras to challenge his pre-eminent position.
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