Akor Adams: Sevilla Coach Explains Why He Benched Super Eagles Striker in 2:0 Defeat to Valencia
- Akor Adams started from the bench as Sevilla suffered another devastating loss to Valencia
- The Super Eagles forward was brought on at half-time but could not salvage the game for coach Matias Almeyda’s men
- Adams is Sevilla’s top scorer this season with seven goals and four assists in 23 appearances
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Sevilla suffered a 2-0 defeat to Valencia at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on Saturday, with Super Eagles striker Akor Adams left out of the starting lineup.
Coach Matias Almeyda revealed that the decision to bench Adams was based on his dissatisfaction with the Nigerian’s performance in last week’s 5-2 loss to Barcelona.
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Despite being Sevilla’s top scorer this season, contributing seven goals and four assists in 23 appearances, as seen on Transfermarkt, Adams was replaced by Neal Maupay to lead the attack against Valencia.
Almeyda hoped the tactical change would improve Sevilla’s attacking output, but they found themselves two goals down by halftime following strikes from Hugo Duro and Largie Ramazani.
Almeyda explains decision to bench Adams
Sevilla coach Almeyda explained after the game that the choice to rotate his strikers was partly to test other players, ABC Sevilla reports.
Source: Getty Images
”I brought Neal back after his injury. I wasn't happy with Akor's last game, so we tried to rotate the squad. It's very difficult to please everyone.
”César came off because he felt discomfort in his adductor. Seeing how they were positioned with a back three, I thought that by bringing on Akor, we'd have a better attacking option."
Adams was eventually brought on at halftime to inject urgency into Sevilla’s attack.
The Nigerian forward immediately added bite and attacking threat, but despite dominating possession in the second half, Sevilla were unable to find the back of the net.
Almeyda noted that another substitution was made to adjust to Valencia’s back three, but ultimately, the changes were insufficient to turn the game around.
Sevilla’s precarious position in La Liga
The defeat leaves Sevilla in a precarious position in La Liga, sitting 15th with 31 points from 29 games, only three points above the relegation zone.
Meanwhile, Valencia climbed to 11th, seven points clear of the drop and just six points away from a European spot.
Almeyda acknowledged the difficult situation, emphasising the challenge of balancing player rotation with team results.
Going forward, it is expected that Adams will reclaim his spot as a key starter for Sevilla given his importance to the squad.
The Super Eagles forward remains a central figure in Sevilla’s bid to avoid relegation, and the team will rely on his goals in the coming fixtures.
Adams has recently been called up to the Nigerian squad ahead of the Super Eagles' friendlies against Jordan and Iran later this month.
The Sevilla striker is expected to lead Nigeria’s attack in the absence of star forward and Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen, who was not listed in Eric Chelle’s 25-man squad for the friendly games.
Sevilla sends message to Adams
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Adams has paid homage to Congolese hero Patrice Lumumba for the third time in three months, gathering support from football lovers all over the globe, including his own club, Sevilla.
The Benue-born player caught the attention at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations when he dribbled past Zinedane Zidane's son, Luca, to score Nigeria's second goal in the quarterfinals against Algeria.
Source: Legit.ng
