Nathaniel Adjei stars as FC Lorient upset RC Lens in Ligue 1

Ghana defender Nathaniel Adjei delivered an assured display as FC Lorient secured a surprise 1-0 victory over RC Lens in the French Ligue 1 on Saturday.

Lorient travelled to the Stade Bollaert-Delelis for their Matchday Three encounter and emerged with all three points thanks to Mamadou Kone's decisive strike early in the second half.

After a goalless opening period, Kone broke the deadlock in the 54th minute, with the visitors holding firm to claim an impressive away win. Lens finished the match with 10 men after Souleymane Sagnan was shown a red card.

Adjei, who played the full 90 minutes, was one of Lorient's standout performers as he helped keep a clean sheet against the hosts. The former Black Satellites captain earned a rating of 6.6 for his commanding performance at the heart of defence.

The 23-year-old is hoping to force his way back into the Ghana national team ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, which begin later this month.

Adjei's last appearance for the Black Stars came in a friendly against Mexico in the build-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The defender made his senior Ghana debut on 18 November 2024 in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Niger at the Accra Sports Stadium. He started the match before being substituted after 40 minutes as Ghana suffered a 2-1 defeat.

Adjei will now look to retain his place in Lorient's starting line-up when they host Toulouse at the Stade du Moustoir on 12 September.