Akor Adams is the top scorer in Norway after his brace for Eliteserien side Lillestrøm SK against Sandefjord in their 10th match of the ongoing Norwegian football season.
The striker has grown in leaps and bounds from his days with the U-20 Nigeria national football team who took part in the U-20 FIFA World Cup in 2019.
At 23, he is closer in age to the big names in the Super Eagles squad, like Napoli’s Victor Osimhen and Sadiq Umar. However, he is currently on the same career trajectory as another Super Eagles prospect Gift Orban, especially after becoming Norway's top scorer.
Toppscorer 👏🔥 pic.twitter.com/Edr6uX2TdY
— Lillestrøm SK (@LillestromSK) July 16, 2023
Akor Adams hits 14 in 13 games for Lillestrøm
Adams is the man of the moment in Norwegian football. Many pundits and journalists compare him to Orban, who was as free-scoring as the former U-20 striker when he played in the Eliteserien.
Lillestrøm are a typical mid-table team in the Norwegian first division but since Adams’ arrival at the club in April 2022, they have begun to look like challengers. He scored 10 in 29 appearances in his debut season for the Birds and has stepped it up a notch in his second season at the club.
He now has 17 in 18 games across all competitions, with 14 coming in 13 Eliterserien matches. That has placed him at the top of the food chain in Norwegian top-flight football. His €400,000 transfer fee from Sogndal Fotball now looks like a steal for Lillestrøm, who have also been reportedly dealing with calls from interested clubs.
After a brace against big wigs, Rosenborg, took him to second place on the Eliteserien top scorers chart last weekend, he added another brace to claim the top spot for himself ahead of Amahl Pellegrino of Bodø/Glimt.
The 🇳🇬 Akor Adams (23) express keeps rolling on for @LillestromSK.
Another 2 goals vs. Sandefjord brings the season stat line to:
☑️ 13 league starts
⚽️ 14 goals
🅰️ 2 assists
🔥 9 goals in his last 6 games
😯 Involved in 16 of 24 league goals
🚀 5 shots per game
🥇 Top scorer,… pic.twitter.com/ya8dPmF00S— Football Wonderkids (@fbwonderkids) July 16, 2023
Adams has now scored 58.3% of his team’s total in the Eliteserien, showing that without him, they will be struggling in the league.
Many in the Nigeria football news scene expect him to become as big as Orban – who is currently with KAA Gent in Belgium – was in Norway before leaving the country.
As for his inclusion in the Super Eagles' list of players to be called up for games and a possible spot in the AFCON 2023 tournament, it may take a while for the Jamba Football Academy graduate.
Akor Adams transfer news and speculation
Adams is being touted as the new Orban by Norwegian football media. Part of the reason for this comparison is the number of clubs that have been reported to be in contact with Lillestrøm regarding his transfer away from the club.
Many sources reported in June that there is a four-way battle on the horizon for the striker’s signature. The interested clubs are Simon Moses’ FC Nantes, Raphael Onyedika’s Club Brugge, KRC Genk, and Union SG, where Everton-linked Victor Boniface currently plies his trade.
Adams still has 18 months to go on his contract with Lillestrøm and reports indicate that a sizable sum of €3 million will be demanded from interested parties. This is €1 million short of his valuation by various football data collection platforms like Transfermarkt.
Akor Adams 🇳🇬(2000) retakes the lead!pic.twitter.com/6q0a05JzHS
— Football Report (@FootballReprt) July 16, 2023
With the rest of the European football season set to get underway, Lillestrøm fans may not be watching Adams for longer.
The player, meanwhile, will be focused on delivering his best for the club in order to help them rise above sixth place, which they currently occupy after 13 matches, with two games in hand.
This article was most recently revised and updated 2 months ago
