One-on-One with Akil Frank: Frankly speaking…

If there is just one thing you can say for certain about Akil Frank, it is that he is determined to make it big on the international football scene. And the 19-year-old Signal Hill Secondary School football captain looks like he does have a very promising future in football.

Photo: Signal Hill Secondary captain Akil Frank (right) slips the ball past East Mucurapo player Joshua Constantine during SSFL Premier Division action at Moka on 14 September 2016.
(Courtesy Sean Morrison/Wired868)

Avid for success both academically and professionally, Frank, now an Upper Sixth Business student, remains very passionate about the game. And now that he is almost ready to leave the secondary school football arena behind him, he is more determined than ever to continue to improve himself and his skill level.

Frank was only 10 when he left Trinidad, along with his mother and his two sisters, to make his home in Tobago. He attended the St Patrick’s Anglican Primary School and joined the 1976 Phoenix Academy. He had played a little football in Trinidad but it was only when he came to Tobago and joined Phoenix that he really began to take the game seriously.

Frank says that he gets much of his inspiration from two local footballers, Darren ‘Chucky’ Mitchell and Andel Brown, but it was at the Academy that the motivation to become the player that he is today was spawned.


It was there too that he first learned to maximise his assets. One of the first things you notice about his game is his speed. But not only is he quick but he has great control over the ball, his ability to dribble the ball at pace being truly remarkable.

Frank’s enthusiasm for and love of the beautiful game, which he combines with admirable self-discipline, is so great that it would be a major surprise if he failed to make the career for himself that he seems confident of making.

Photo: Signal Hill Secondary captain Akil Frank (left) wheels off to celebrate after beating East Mucurapo Secondary goalkeeper Joshua Davis during SSFL Premier Division action at Moka on 14 September 2016.
Signal Hill won 2-1.
(Courtesy Sean Morrison/Wired868)

 Here are some more things that you may not know about Akil:

Name: Akil Andwele Frank

Nicknames: Most people just call me by my last name.

Date of birth: 19 May 1998

Hometown: Cumuto

Position: Striker


Number: 10

School: Signal Hill Secondary School

Photo: Signal Hill Secondary supporters cheer on their team during SSFL Premier Division action against Shiva Boys Hindu College in Tobago on 5 October 2016.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/CA Images/Wired868)

 Favourite food: Pizza

What is one thing most people do not know about you?

I am really into a lot of music; I like dancehall and hip hop the most.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Liming and playing video games.

What do you hope to do when you finish school?

I want to further my career in football and if that doesn’t work out for me I have a plan B; I would like to attend college and study business.

How would you describe yourself as a person?

I am passionate, romantic (lol) I am trustworthy and, if you take the time to know me, I can be very funny.

Who is your favourite player, local or foreign?

Kylian Mbappé. He did what I want to do, make it big at a young age. He is a great goal-scorer and he reminds me of how I play.

What is your favourite football team, local or foreign?

Manchester United.

Photo: Former Trinidad and Tobago and Manchester United star Dwight Yorke (left) goes for goal against Real Madrid.

What makes you stand out as a player?

My leadership skills would make me stand out and I have a strong passion for the game.

What would be success for you as a player? 

Winning, scoring goals, leading my team to victory and bringing home the trophies

Who was your most important coach/coaches and why?

Coach Terry Williams. When I came to Tobago, he got me into the football from the grassroots. He has me where I am in football today.

What was your best moment in football so far? And your worst?

It was a semi-final game [against Pentecostal Light and Life in 2013] and we were down 3-2. But in the last seconds of the game, I scored a magnificent header to keep my team in the Intercol and gave us a chance to advance to the finals. That goal brought tears to my eyes. It was indeed my best moment.

And your worst?

My worst was a 4-0 loss to Shiva Boys [Hindu College on 25 October 2017].

Photo: Signal Hill’s captain Akil Frank.

What is your major goal for the season?

To at least end the season with the Tobago Zone Intercol trophy and, if we can, to take the National Intercol title too.

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About Shunella Wilkinson

Shunella Wilkinson is a student at the Tobago COSTAATT campus pursing a BA in Mass Communication. She is currently employed with the Tobago House of Assembly as a Records Attendant attached to the Division of Community Development, Enterprise Development and Labour. Shunella enjoys getting lost in the occasional novel and crochets in her downtime.

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12 comments

  1. Very level headed. Has places to go.

  2. A good player who ALSO appears to be doing well academically. 😉

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