Kenyan international Esse Akida has announced that she has extended her contract with Greek Super League side FC PAOK Thessaloniki for another season.

The talented forward expressed her excitement for the upcoming season with the club while announcing the new development.

Esse Akida announcement

“Happy to report that my association with PAOK will continue for another year. I feel happy here and can’t wait for what the new season has for us,” she announced in a statement.

Akida initially joined PAOK in July 2021, signing a one-and-a-half-year deal with the Greek team.

Her move to PAOK came after an impressive season with Thika Queens, a team in the FKF Women’s Premier League in Kenya.

It was her second venture abroad, with her first experience being with Israeli Ligat Nashim club FC Ramat HaSharon during the 2018/19 season, where she made 22 appearances and scored four goals.

After her time in Israel, Akida joined Besiktas and played in the second half of the 2019-20 Turkish Women’s First Football League season.

Unfortunately, the league was discontinued due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and she returned home to Kenya.

However, she later returned abroad to join PAOK and had an outstanding season, starting with a memorable hat-trick in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, making her the first Kenyan woman to achieve this feat in a Champions League match.

Throughout the season, Akida scored an impressive 17 goals in 18 appearances for the club.

In recognition of her exceptional performances, Akida was awarded the Golden Boot as the top scorer in the 2021/22 Greece Women’s Premier League season with FC PAOK Thessaloniki.

She received this prestigious accolade at the 41st Women’s Professional Footballers Association (PSAPP) awards held at the Athens Festival Hall in Greece on December 12, 2022.

Continuing her success, Akida recently secured her second consecutive title with PAOK in May 2023 after netting 12 goals for the team.

With her contract extension, she is now set to compete for another Champions League preliminaries.

Esse Akida with Starlets

Having also represented the Kenyan national team, Akida has showcased her skills on various occasions. She played for Kenya at the 2016 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations, scoring a goal against Ghana.

She also scored for Kenya in a 2018 Africa Women Cup of Nations qualification match against Equatorial Guinea.