Montpellier turns to ‘Jordanian Messi’ to make up for the loss of prolific striker
The departure of Elye Wahi looked like an omen for struggles to come at Montpellier.
The striker had been piling up goals last season — 19 in 33 French league matches — drawing the interest of some big clubs in Europe before he ultimately joined rival Lens for an estimated 35 million euros (USD38 million), the second biggest transfer in league history between two French clubs.
And, with forward Stephy Mavididi also leaving, Montpellier seemed in trouble.
But, knowing it could not keep the coveted Wahi one more season, Montpellier’s scouts had carefully planned their search for a replacement.
Even before Wahi left last week, the family-owned soccer club in southern France signed two low-profile recruits to add spark up front. The moves brought instant rewards, with the pair taking the spotlight the last two weeks in France.
Jordan winger Mousa Al Tamari, who was lured from Belgian club Leuven, and Akor Adams have teamed up to score five goals in Montpellier’s opening two games, with the 2012 champions sitting fourth in the standings ahead of Sunday’s home game against Reims.
Leader Monaco is at Nantes on Friday, while defending champion Paris Saint-Germain will be looking for a first win this season against Lens on Saturday.
Adams, who joined from Norwegian club Lillestrom, started his French league career with two goals in a 2-2 draw with Le Havre, then added another in a 4-1 rout of Lyon last week when Al Tamari found the target twice.
Al Tamari, the first Jordanian to play in the French league, was nicknamed the “Jordanian Messi” for his technical skills when he played for APOEL Nicosia before his three-year stint in Belgium.
“I like one-on-one play, I dribble well, I’m quick with the ball at my feet,” he told the
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