Nigerian striker Akor Adams ended his four-game goal drought in decisive fashion, scoring the winning goal as Venezia secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Napoli in the Italian Serie A on Saturday.
The Super Eagles forward delivered the breakthrough four minutes into the second half at the Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo, helping Venezia claim their first league victory of the 2026/27 campaign after losing their opening six matches.
The result also provided an encouraging start for new Venezia manager Davide Nicola, who took charge following the dismissal of Giovanni Stroppa.
Napoli entered the encounter hoping to recover from their disappointing 3-1 defeat to Villarreal in the UEFA Champions League during the week. However, despite enjoying considerable possession and creating several opportunities, they failed to find a way past an organised Venezia defence and an outstanding Filip Stankovic in goal.
Adams had already threatened Napoli before the interval, capitalising on an error by defender Benoit Badiashile to test goalkeeper Alex Meret at the near post. Although Meret kept out the effort, the Nigerian forward demonstrated his willingness to exploit mistakes in the opposition defence.
The decisive moment arrived in the 49th minute when Switzerland international Simon Sohm, who is of Nigerian descent, delivered a long ball into the space behind Napoli’s defence.
Adams showed impressive strength to hold off Amir Rrahmani before cutting inside and firing towards goal. His effort took a deflection off the Napoli defender, changing direction and wrong-footing Meret as the ball found the back of the net.
The goal sparked celebrations among the home supporters and gave Venezia a valuable advantage at the beginning of the second half.
For Adams, the strike ended a frustrating four-match spell without a goal and represented his second league goal of the season. The Nigerian forward had joined Venezia from Sevilla during the summer in a reported €17 million transfer, arriving with expectations of strengthening the club’s attacking options.
Napoli responded by introducing Kevin De Bruyne and Rasmus Hojlund as they attempted to rescue the contest. The changes increased the visitors’ attacking threat, but Venezia remained disciplined and continued to frustrate their opponents.
One of Napoli’s clearest opportunities came in the 59th minute when Hojlund appeared poised to score from close range. However, former Napoli defender Juan Jesus produced a crucial goal-line block to preserve Venezia’s lead.
The visitors continued pressing and were handed another major opportunity in the 68th minute after Matias Moreno brought down Hojlund inside the penalty area.
De Bruyne stepped forward to take the resulting spot-kick, offering Napoli an opportunity to restore parity. However, the Belgian midfielder’s effort lacked sufficient power, allowing Stankovic to get down and smother the ball on the goal line.
The penalty save proved to be one of the defining moments of the match.
Stankovic continued to frustrate Napoli throughout the closing stages, producing a series of important interventions to protect Venezia’s slender advantage.
The goalkeeper denied Stanislav Lobotka with an impressive save to push his curling effort away from the top corner. He also reacted sharply to keep out an attempt from Alisson Santos, ensuring that Napoli’s late pressure produced no equaliser.
Napoli dominated possession and pushed forward repeatedly, but Venezia defended resolutely to secure all three points.
The victory was particularly significant for the hosts, who had endured a difficult opening to the campaign. Their first league win lifted the mood around the club and offered Nicola an encouraging beginning to his tenure.
Despite the result, Venezia remained at the bottom of the Serie A standings on three points, highlighting the work still required to move away from the relegation zone.
Napoli, meanwhile, missed the opportunity to move into the top four and remained ninth on 10 points following their third league defeat of the season.
For Adams, the winning goal represented an important response after several matches without finding the net. His ability to use his physical strength, exploit space behind the defence and convert a difficult opportunity demonstrated the qualities Venezia will need as they attempt to improve their position in the league.
The 26-year-old has now scored four goals in nine appearances across all competitions this season, providing an encouraging return as he continues to establish himself at his new club.
Venezia will hope the victory marks a turning point in their campaign, while Adams will look to build on his decisive contribution and maintain his scoring form in the matches ahead.
For Nigeria, the forward’s latest performance also provides a positive development as the Super Eagles continue to monitor the contributions of their players competing in Europe’s major leagues.
In a match where Napoli controlled much of the possession but struggled to convert their opportunities, Adams supplied the decisive moment, while Stankovic ensured that Venezia’s hard-earned advantage survived until the final whistle.
