Super Eagles striker Akor Adams has expressed his delight after marking his competitive debut for Venezia with a stunning individual performance, scoring twice and providing an assist as the Italian side battled back from behind to defeat Modena 3-2 in the Coppa Italia at the Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo on Saturday. The result sent the newly promoted Serie A side through to the round of 32.
Venezia endured a difficult start to the contest, falling behind when Giuseppe Ambrosino opened the scoring for Modena in the 17th minute. However, Adams responded almost immediately, firing a composed finish into the top corner nine minutes later to restore parity and give the hosts renewed belief heading into half-time.
Despite that response, Modena regained the lead shortly after the restart through a second Ambrosino strike, leaving Venezia facing an unexpectedly difficult route through to the next round.
Nevertheless, the closing stages produced a dramatic turnaround. John Yeboah levelled matters in the 83rd minute after being set up by Adams, before the Nigerian striker completed the comeback himself two minutes later, unleashing a powerful effort from outside the box that flew into the net to give Venezia the lead for the first time in the match. As a result, the hosts held on to secure a thrilling 3-2 victory and progress in the competition.
Statistically, Adams was the standout performer on the pitch, recording the most touches in the opposition box with nine and the highest number of shots in the game with six, converting two of those efforts while also creating two additional chances for his teammates.
Consequently, the 26-year-old finished the match with a rating of 9.2, directly contributing to all three of Venezia’s goals on an afternoon that could hardly have gone better for the club’s marquee summer signing.
Adams completed a permanent move to Venezia from Sevilla in July in a deal that could rise to around 23 million euros, arriving in Italy on the back of a productive campaign in LaLiga during which he scored 10 goals in 37 appearances.
Furthermore, he had already shown promising signs in pre-season, netting on his unofficial debut in a 4-3 defeat to Saint-Etienne after coming on as a second-half substitute. However, Saturday’s outing marked his first appearance in a competitive fixture for the club, and he delivered in emphatic fashion.
Meanwhile, the timing of the performance could prove significant for his manager Giovanni Stroppa, who now faces a selection decision ahead of Venezia’s Serie A opener away at Lecce.
Adams had entered the previous friendly fixtures as an option off the bench behind John Yeboah and Albion Rrahmani, however, his match-winning display against Modena has strengthened his case for a starting role when competitive football resumes in the league. As a result, comparisons have already begun to surface regarding the scoring records Adams could target at a club with genuine ambitions of establishing itself in the Italian top flight this season.
Adams’ explosive start in Venice offers further evidence of his growing threat in front of goal, building on a productive showing at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations where he registered two goals and two assists across seven matches.
Consequently, a strong opening to his Serie A career would further cement his place among Eric Chelle’s attacking options as Nigeria look to regroup following their absence from the 2026 World Cup and push for a strong showing in the next round of AFCON qualifiers.
Venezia will next face Udinese in the Coppa Italia round of 32, setting up an intriguing meeting between two Nigerian internationals, with Adams leading the Venezia attack against a Udinese side featuring goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, who also won on his own comeback appearance against Padova on the same day.
Before that, however, Adams and his teammates turn their attention to their Serie A season opener against Lecce on Sunday, August 23, as he looks to carry his dream debut form into the club’s return to Italy’s top flight.
