AKANJI

Akanji was born in Neftenbach, Switzerland, to a Swiss mother and a Nigerian father. His sister Sarah is a former footballer for FC Winterthur Frauen and a Social Democratic Party of Switzerland politician. In 2017, already a professional player, he completed his vocational training as a tradesman (″Kaufmann″). On Swiss TV in 2018 he showed excellent skills at mental calculation.

Personal life Background and family Manuel Obafemi Akanji was born on 19 July 1995 in Wiesendangen, a municipality in the canton of Zürich , Switzerland . [38] [5] He grew up in a multicultural household, with his mother Isabel, a Swiss native and former tennis player from the Winterthur region, and his father Abimbola, a Nigerian finance expert and amateur footballer who immigrated to Switzerland . [1] Akanji's father played a pivotal role in sparking his interest in football, often involving him in casual games that fostered his early passion for the sport. [59] [1] The family emphasized the importance of education alongside athletics, providing unconditional support for Akanji's pursuits without imposing pressure to succeed in football. [59] He is the youngest of three siblings, with tw…