Innocent Kingsley: Nigerian winger joins Hapoel Afula on free transfer from Hapoel Jerusalem

Nigerian winger Innocent Kingsley has joined Hapoel Afula on a free transfer from Hapoel Jerusalem, signing a deal with the Liga Leumit club until 30 June 2027.

The 24-year-old right-sided attacker, who was born in Lafia and stands at 1.75m, moves after a short spell on the books of Hapoel Jerusalem, having initially arrived there in the summer of 2025 before spending time on loan with Maccabi Jaffa. His transfer to Afula keeps him in Israel but represents a step into the second tier, where he is already a familiar face.

Kingsley has built an impressive record in Liga Leumit, registering 52 appearances and 14 goals in the division, underlining his ability to contribute regularly from wide areas. Predominantly a right-footed right winger, he also has experience in domestic cup competitions in Israel, adding three appearances in the State Cup to his league record.

Before his move to Israel, Kingsley accumulated minutes across several leagues. He featured in Norway’s OBOS-ligaen and the Norsk Tipping-Ligaen, scoring 13 goals in 18 games in the latter, and previously played in Turkey’s 1. Lig and cup competition with Adanaspor. Earlier in his career he appeared in the Nigerian Professional Football League, turning out for Plateau United, Jigawa and Katsina United.

With a current market valuation of around €125,000, Kingsley arrives at Hapoel Afula as a player with a broad range of experience across multiple countries and a proven scoring record at Liga Leumit level. The free-transfer move is effective immediately and ties him to the club for the 2026-27 season.