Akor Adams was ready to take Venezia’s penalty against Lazio before Giovanni Stroppa stepped in and handed the responsibility to John Yeboah, a decision that ended badly as the Nigerian watched his teammate miss from the spot before Venezia eventually fell to a fifth straight Serie A defeat, Footynaija.com reports.
Venezia came into the game without a point from their opening four league matches, but there had been some encouragement in their performances despite the poor results, with Stroppa still trying to establish his promoted side at the top level.
The meeting with Lazio gave another chance to change that record, and Venezia started brightly at the Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo. They created chances and had the opportunity to take the lead when a penalty was awarded in the first half.
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Adams, who joined Venezia from Sevilla in January and has become an important part of the attack, was prepared to take the kick. Yeboah also wanted it, though, and the disagreement eventually required intervention from the coach.
Stroppa explains Adams penalty decision
Stroppa decided Yeboah should take the penalty because the Ecuadorian had taken spot-kicks for the club before. Yeboah stepped up but saw his effort saved by Lazio goalkeeper Christos Mandas.
Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, Stroppa explained why he made the call.
“I intervened because I didn’t want them to keep arguing. I decided to let Yeboah take it, as he had taken penalties before; perhaps I made a mistake too,” the coach said.
The missed penalty became an important moment as Venezia failed to turn their first-half pressure into a goal. Lazio then took control after the break, with Mattia Zaccagni scoring from the spot before Tijjani Noslin headed in the second.
Adams also came close to scoring later in the match, but Mandas denied. The defeat leaves them bottom of Serie A with zero points after five matches.
For Adams, the focus shifts to Nigeria, with Victor Osimhen ruled out of the upcoming AFCON 2027 qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau. The Venezia striker will be expected to play a bigger role for the Super Eagles while also looking to put a difficult club night behind him.
