PROFILE | Akor Adams crucial to keeping Montpellier out of relegation battle | OneFootball

Having joined Montpellier HSC in the summer, Akor Adams (23) is already proving to be one of the best strikers in Ligue 1 and to be yet another prolific Nigerian striker destined for greatness. Forming an exciting strike partnership with Mousa Al-Tamari (26), the two summer signings are heavily implicated in keeping Montpellier away from the relegation zone.

Adams came through the ranks of the Nigerian Jamba Football Academy before being scouted by the Norwegian second-division side Sogndal IL in 2018, who signed him before sending him back on loan to continue his development. Once back in Norway, the striker had a hard time adapting to European football, struggling to find any form in his first three seasons at the club. However in the fourth, something clicked and Adams was finally off scoring goals, bagging 10 goals in 26 games that year. His performances caught the eye of the Eliteserien side Lillestrøm SK, who signed him up at the end of his contract.

There, he hit the ground running, scoring 10 in his first season, before finding ecstatic form in his second year, scoring 15 goals in 15 games in the 2023 season. Adams is a tall and powerful striker, who makes the difference through pace and athleticism, allowing him to make runs in and behind the opposition’s defence, before demonstrating his impressive scoring instincts in front of goal. He also has notable dribbling capabilities in his repertoire, which allow him to at times receive the ball wide, before cutting inside and creating goal-scoring opportunities on his own.

Montpellier’s form linked to that of Adams

Adams’ abilities solicited a move, this time to Ligue 1 and Montpellier. The 23-year-old was to once again discover a new league and country, and some wondered whether he would be able to live up to the expectations, and if he truly had the qualities to play in the French top flight.

These doubts, however, quickly disappeared. It took the Nigerian only 58 minutes to score a goal on his Ligue 1 debut, before doubling that two minutes later in a game against Le Havre. He went on to score seven in his first 10 games in the league, before going through a dry patch since November. This has, however, gone on to show his already extremely important status in the Montpellier squad, as the team has only won one game in the last eight since he stopped scoring. No doubt that should he rediscover his form, it will be synonymous with Les Héraultais returning to winning ways.

GFFN | Alfred Lalande