The lingering debate over the national team Kevin Akpoguma will represent is set to continue in these parts after the 1899 Hoffenheim central defender was recognized for his imperious display against RB Leipzig on game week 14 in the German Bundesliga.

The Neustadt an der Weinstraße native has been selected by whoscored.com  in its latest Team of the Week for the German top-flight.

Akpoguma played on the right side of a three-man central defense in Hoffenheim's 4-0 rout of RB Leipzig at the WIRSOL Rhein-Neckar-Arena (Sinsheim) on Saturday afternoon and totally redeemed himself, a week after he made the back pages at home and abroad for scoring the Bundesliga's 1,000th own goal.

The 22-year-old occupied one of the center back positions in the Team of the Week, and earned the highest rating amongst the four defenders, 8.2.

The Nigeria Football Federation have been on the case of Akpoguma for over three years, German-based Technical Study Group member Darlington Omodiagbe attempted to convince the ex-Germany U20 skipper to change allegiance to Nigeria without success.

Akpoguma has racked up 64 international appearances for Germany's youth teams since he first played for the U16s against Cyprus in a friendly on February 15, 2011.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

Photo Credit : achtzehn99.de