With Queens Park Rangers in 2001, he was loaned out to Stevenage Borough, before beginning a career in non-League football with Margate in 2001.

He rejoined the Football League with Huddersfield Town in 2004 before joining Darlington the next year after a successful loan spell.

Two months later, he emigrated to China to sign with Tianjin TEDA to become the first English footballer in the Chinese Super League.

In January 2019 it was reported that Akpo refused to return to Britain for questioning by police in a money laundering investigation into his family's business that saw three of his brothers jailed.

He left Broadhall Way the next month for Margate, making 16 appearances before the season's end, scoring goals against Yeovil Town, Woking and Hayes.

Seven days later, he scored against Forest Green Rovers before he made his final appearance on 2 November, getting sent off in a 2–1 defeat at Halifax Town.

At age 24 (at the time, he was often reported as 22 or 23), he got a second chance at a professional career, joining Huddersfield Town of League One.

[8] He replaced Andy Booth 86 minutes into a 3–0 win at Vale Park on 11 September, Pawel Abbott grabbing the headlines with a hat-trick.

In March 2005 he was loaned out to League Two Darlington, after impressing on trial,[10] and scored in the final moments of the season in a 3–1 home win over Cheltenham Town.

His performances caught the eye of Port Vale's manager Martin Foyle, who won his signature in May 2006.

He made his debut by coming on as a substitute for Jermaine Johnson in the 63rd minute on 1 September 2007 at Hillsborough, against Bristol City in a 1–0 loss.

After being hailed by some Wednesdayites as "The black David Hirst" because of his strength and determination, Sodje cemented his place in Wednesday folklore with the opening goal in their 2–0 win over fierce rivals Sheffield United on 19 January.

[21] Sodje started the 2008–09 season by scoring two goals and setting one up for strike partner Marcus Tudgay in a 4–1 win over Burnley.

[22] He made his return coming off of the bench for Jermaine Johnson after 68 minutes against local rivals Sheffield United.

Sodje signed for Scottish Premier League (SPL) side Hibernian on a free transfer on 31 January 2011.

[30] In March 2012, he signed a contract with Chinese Super League side Tianjin TEDA, then managed by Josip Kuže.

The league restricts clubs to sign at most five non-Chinese players, the other four in 2012 being Lucian Goian, Sjoerd Ars, Veliče Šumulikoski, and Milan Susak.

[32] He won a first-team place after coming off the bench to score against Bournemouth, and then followed this up with goals against Crystal Palace and Swindon Town in his next two games.

[38] Sodje signed with Scunthorpe United in January 2013 on a short-term deal lasting until the end of the 2012–13 season and stated that "I'm feeling good and I'm glad that everything is sorted and I've got the chance to work with Brian Laws again...

[43] On 20 February 2014, Sodje joined Conference side Macclesfield Town on a one-month loan; brother Efe was manager John Askey's assistant at the "Silkmen".

[47] Two of his brothers, Sam and Efe, were put on trial in the UK in September 2017 for money laundering after allegedly being involved in channelling proceeds from scams which targeted firms in Colombia, India, Italy and Abu Dhabi; Sodje himself was also alleged to have taken part in the crime but declined to return to Britain from his home in Dubai to be interviewed by police.