24 April 2026
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Game of the Week: Unionville Milliken and International FC face off in Men’s OPL 1
It’s UMSC’s first home game in the top flight, against a formidable new foe (and a familiar face).
Week 2 in OPL 1 is headlined by a can’t-miss clash between two new teams to the division.
Newly-promoted Unionville Milliken SC take to the pitch at Mount Joy on Saturday, April 25 (8:30 p.m.) to take on International FC, one of the OPL system’s brand new clubs.
Unionville Milliken have a point to prove in this one, getting through their season opener relatively well with a 1-1 draw against Sigma FC. An 81st-minute equalizer by Lorenzo Abbaglivo snagged a point in the club’s first match in OPL 1 after topping the table in the second division last year.
The club does have a win under its belt in 2026, having won their OPL Cup opener earlier this month. Unionville Milliken handed a 6-1 defeat to OPL 3 side Kingston Sentinels to move on in the tournament.
However, one of the architects of UMSC’s promotion a year ago will be lining up across from them in this Game of the Week. Nigerian striker George Akpabio, who scored 18 goals for Unionville Milliken last season, has joined International FC this year. The 33-year-old is already off the mark in 2026, scoring twice in International’s 4-1 rout of the Sudbury Cyclones in Week 1. He also found the net in International’s OPL Cup match, a 3-2 loss to Master’s FA.
Akpabio was one of two International players in the most recent Gatorade Team of the Week, with Orlendis Benítez joining him after also scoring against Sudbury. He, too, is a familiar face in the OPL, as one of the league’s best midfielders in recent years during stints with Vaughan, Simcoe County and Scrosoppi.
These two sides have both indicated that the matchup will be an interesting test of both sides’ tactical abilities, due to some key differences in style. International will likely try to wear down their opponent via short passes, dictating the tempo of the game, so UMSC will be on the hunt for chances to disrupt and hit on the counter.
This Game of the Week kicks off on Saturday, 8:30 p.m. at Mount Joy.
