EXCLUSIVE: Nathaniel Adjei opens up on Ghana call-up and the prospect of facing Mbappe
Born and raised in Teshie, Accra, Adjei caught the eye during his youth days with Danbort FC. He was promoted to the senior team where he impressed in the Division One League but had to still wait for his breakthrough.
It finally came after success with Ghana’s U20 side, but it was no surprise to see the tall defender making his mark in Ghana’s youth teams given his experience. He was vice-captain of Ghana’s U17 team and was promoted to the U20 team at age 16. However, his most memorable moment with the youth teams came in 2021 when the Black Satellites conquered Africa.
Ghana beat Uganda 2-0 in the final of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to be crowned champions. A triumph that proved to be the turning point in the career of Adjei.
“I’ve played in the U17, U20, and U23 but winning the AFCON was the biggest step for me in my career. It’s not easy to go into a tournament and win the ultimate. That year we had the opportunity to win and it opened a lot of doors for me. I had a couple of offers outside and then in the end I ended up in France. That tournament improved my career,” the 21-year-old told Flashscore in an exclusive interview.
Next up for Adjei is the Black Stars. He has been called up for the friendlies against Nigeria and Uganda. It’s his first time in the national team, but it feels like a natural progression given how he has climbed through the ranks of the youth teams over the years.
“I’ve always been looking forward to that adventure. As a young player, you need to work harder to reach higher heights. I have been working hard and I am pleased.”
Adjei has made huge strides in Europe after joining Hammarby TFF on a one-year loan in 2021 from Danbort. After impressing at Hammarby TFF, which is the feeder club of Hammarby IF, Adjei signed on a four-and-a-half-year contract. He joined Hammarby’s first team and despite scoring an own goal in his Allsvenskan debut, he went on to make 24 appearances in the league, establishing himself as a key figure.
After starting the 2023/24 season with Hammarby, Adjei joined Lorient on loan until the end of the season. Since joining the Ligue 1 side, the defender has started 88% of games.
“It’s been good so far. Since I came in we’ve been winning some important games. We’re on the right track. At the moment, my aim for the rest is to help the team achieve the rest of their goals. Our position at the moment it’s not that good. We’re working hard to play in Ligue 1 next season,” he said.
Lorient currently sit just above the relegation zone in 15th place and are just one point clear of the bottom three. With eight matches until the end of the season, the margin for error will be small for Adjei and Lorient as the pressure to survive mounts.
On April 14th, Lorient will face their toughest test this year when they welcome reigning Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain to the Stade du Moustoir. Adjei admits he is relishing the opportunity to share the pitch with Kylian Mbappe.
“All the strikers I have faced are good but I have been able to manage them. I am looking forward to facing someone tough. Facing Kylian Mbappe will be a big challenge for me. As a young player, you need to challenge yourself and not be in your comfort zone. Mbappe is a very good player and playing against such players gives you more experience and tests you. I look forward to seeing how far I have come as a centre-back.”
Though the game against PSG will be important, for Lorient there is simply no bigger game in French football than facing Rennes. Rennes remains one of the club’s biggest rivals and beating them 2-1 away on matchday 24 was a big confidence boost for Lorient.
At the end of the game, Adjei had the chance to meet his compatriot Alidu Seidu as the two caught up on life in France. For Adjei, moments like these mean a lot more for him because he’s still settling in the country.
Moving during the winter transfer window meant that he had not had the chance to settle. Living in a new country with a completely different culture from Sweden, Adjei has had to adjust his lifestyle.
He’s yet to try French food but admits his French will need a lot of work as he can only currently greet and respond to greetings.
“It’s much colder in Sweden. The main difference is the language. Most of my colleagues speak French and I only speak English so it’s quite challenging. However, as time goes on I’m trying to catch up and improve my French.”
One of the reasons Lorient went in for the services of Adjei was his ability on the ball. The defender admits the demands of the modern game coupled with his upbringing during his early days in Sweden means he’s adept at playing under pressure.
“In this era, if you are a centre-back that doesn’t like to play the ball a lot it’s going to affect you. When I was playing in the second team in Hammarby they always loved to keep the ball. Playing under Martí Cifuentes has really improved me a lot because he likes to keep the ball more. As a centre-back, your main priority is not just to defend but also to keep the ball more. By doing that it improves your game and takes you to the next step.”
Adjei is still learning his craft as a central defender and looks up to Thiago Silva, Antonio Rudiger, and Sergio Ramos because of their experience. In the Ghana national team, the Lorient defender watched the likes of Samuel Osei Kuffuor, Daniel Amartey, and Jonathan Mensah.
For now, he is excited to share the same camp as Amartey, a player he adores, as Ghana prepare to face Nigeria and Uganda. Adjei’s biggest fan is his mum who watches every Ligue 1 game Lorient play. She will hope Lorient survives relegation, but for now, she will be anxiously waiting to see her son take the field for the first time as a senior national team player when Ghana play in the March international window.
