Akor Adams' Venezia struggles put Super Eagles place under pressure
Akor Adams’ difficult start to life at Venezia is beginning to raise questions about his place in Nigeria’s increasingly competitive attacking setup, with the striker yet to reproduce the goalscoring form that previously made him a prominent Super Eagles option.
The 26 year old arrived at Venezia this summer after making his mark at Sevilla FC, where he finished his spell with 10 goals and four assists in 37 appearances.
However, after three Serie A matches, Adams is still searching for his first league goal, while Venezia have suffered defeats against Lecce, AC Milan and Frosinone.
His early struggles are particularly notable because Adams began his Venezia career in promising fashion. On his competitive debut in the Coppa Italia, the Nigerian produced a standout performance against
Modena, scoring twice and supplying an assist in a 3-2 victory. That display suggested he could quickly become a key figure for the newly promoted side.
The momentum, however, has failed to carry into the league. Adams has drawn a blank in all three Serie A appearances and has yet to register an assist, leaving him without a goal contribution in the competition despite Venezia already finding the net four times.
The downturn represents a sharp contrast to his performances for Nigeria at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. In his first appearance at the tournament in Morocco, Adams scored twice and provided two assists, earning recognition as part of the attacking trio alongside Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman that CAF identified as one of the Super Eagles’ major offensive threats.
With Eric Chelle now overseeing the national team, Adams’ lack of league production could become increasingly significant as competition for attacking places intensifies.
Tolu Arokodare has started the new campaign strongly, while Paul Onuachu remains an established option, with Osimhen, Lookman and other forwards further crowding the selection picture.
Adams still has ample opportunity to turn his fortunes around, but his next Serie A performances could carry added importance. Having already demonstrated his ability to deliver goals in Italy’s cup competition and on the international stage, the challenge now is to translate that form into consistent league production before his Super Eagles position comes under greater scrutiny.
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