Akor Adams, Chidera Ejuke Lose LaLiga MVP Awards to Senegal Star
- Senegal midfielder Pape Gueye won the 2025/26 SPORTY LaLiga MVP Award
- Nigerian duo Akor Adams and Chidera Ejuke missed out despite strong campaigns with Sevilla
- Gueye’s performances for Villarreal and Senegal boosted his reputation ahead of the 2026 World Cup
Akor Adams and Chidera Ejuke have missed out on the 2025/26 LaLiga MVP Award after Senegal international Pape Gueye was named the best African player in Spain’s top division.
The award, organised in partnership with SPORTY, recognises the top-performing African footballer in LaLiga and has become one of the continent’s most prestigious individual honours in European football.
Source: UGC
According to LaLiga, Gueye’s outstanding campaign for Villarreal and the Senegal national team proved enough to secure the prize ahead of a competitive 20-man shortlist that included the Nigerian duo.
The midfielder becomes the latest African star to claim the honour after Yassine Bounou won the inaugural edition in 2021/22, while former Villarreal winger Samuel Chukwueze lifted the award in 2022/23.
Inaki Williams had won the last two editions before Gueye’s triumph this season.
Adams enjoyed breakthrough season at Sevilla
Despite missing out on the award, Adams can still look back on an impressive campaign in Spain.
The Nigerian striker emerged as one of Sevilla FC’s standout performers after establishing himself as the club’s leading scorer in LaLiga.
According to Sofascore, the 26-year-old scored 10 goals and provided three assists in 32 appearances across the season, while matching his expected goals tally of 10.00.
Adams averaged a goal every 207 minutes and delivered several important moments for Sevilla, including a memorable strike in the club’s 4-1 victory over FC Barcelona.
The striker’s performances justified Sevilla’s decision to invest €5 million in him and hand him the famous number nine shirt.
Although he missed nine big chances and recorded a 16 per cent conversion rate, Adams remained one of Sevilla’s most reliable attacking threats.
His versatility also stood out, with the striker scoring with both feet and contributing heavily inside the penalty area, where nine of his 10 goals originated.
Ejuke struggles for consistency
The nomination represented recognition of Ejuke's growing influence despite a more difficult campaign.
The winger made 27 appearances but started only six matches, playing 954 minutes in total, per Sofascore.
He scored one goal and provided one assist while averaging 24.3 touches per game.
Although the Nigerian struggled for end product, his technical quality and ball progression remained valuable for Sevilla.
Source: Getty Images
Ejuke completed 84 per cent of his passes and maintained an impressive accuracy rate in the opposition half, showing his effectiveness in retaining possession and linking attacking moves.
The winger also created chances regularly despite limited game time, averaging 0.5 key passes per match.
Still, his modest attacking return ultimately left him behind stronger contenders for the award.
Gueye shines for Villarreal and Senegal
Villarreal celebrated the recognition after Gueye delivered one of the finest campaigns of his career.
The Senegalese midfielder made 30 LaLiga appearances during the 2025/26 season, playing 2,143 minutes and contributing five goals and two assists.
He started 26 league matches and became one of Villarreal’s most influential players thanks to his physical presence, work rate and ability to break into attacking areas from midfield.
Gueye also featured prominently in the UEFA Champions League, making seven appearances and playing 527 minutes for the Spanish side.
Across all competitions, the midfielder finished the season with 39 appearances, 2,835 minutes, five goals and two assists.
His influence was not limited to club football.
The 26-year-old also played a decisive role for the Senegal national football team during the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Gueye scored the winning goal in Senegal’s 1-0 victory over Morocco in the final after extra time and was named Player of the Match as the Teranga Lions secured their second AFCON title.
The performances further elevated his status ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Speaking after receiving the award, Gueye expressed delight at earning the first individual honour of his career.
“It is a source of pride because it is the first individual title I have won in my career and I am very happy to represent my country, Senegal, here in LaLiga," Gueye said.
“I want to thank all my teammates and the coach.”
Super Eagles eye Unity Cup glory
Legit.ng earlier reported that Nigeria began their Unity Cup title defence impressively after defeating Zimbabwe 2-0 in the semi-final clash.
The victory ensured coach Eric Chelle and his players advanced to the final, where they will face Jamaica after the Reggae Boyz defeated India in the second semi-final.
Source: Legit.ng
