No CPL attacker is more dangerous one-on-one – or going head-over-heels – than Valour FC striker William Akio.

The 23-year-old is a tricky, fast, and lethal attacker that mixes technical and physical ability to an incredible end.

Akio was the only Valour player to appear in every single game this year, playing 28 times in the CPL and twice in the Canadian Championship. He scored eight goals to finish seventh in the league’s Golden Boot race and added three assists to make him one of Valour’s most productive forwards. He was one of the driving forces behind Valour’s late push toward the playoff spots, scoring five goals in the final six games of the year to help make it a very tight race at the end. One of those goals, of course, was this sizzling solo effort against Forge FC, which may well go down as the finest individual goal scored all year in the CPL:

GOAL ?

TAKE A BOW WILLY AKIO!

The @ValourFootball forward with an unbelievable run from his own half dribbles through the @ForgeFCHamilton backline and finishes to make it 2-1 right before halftime!#CanPL ?? | ? TELUS ch. 980 | ? https://t.co/hishXepRT3 pic.twitter.com/FEDzXIUgcB

— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) October 11, 2021

Akio, who can play across the front three, found great success as a direct attacker – especially under the tutelage of new Valour coach Phil Dos Santos.

Akio, who was born in a Kenyan refugee camp but grew up in Calgary, signed with Valour after a strong college career at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley and with Calgary Foothills as well. He recently received call-ups to the South Sudanese national team for his professional exploits which, who knows, could send him to a higher level sooner than you think.

With files from Charlie O’Connor-Clarke.