You have seen it before.
A long-range effort kissing the back of the net, with the force of a Nazaré wave – disruptive, and obliterated.
Followed by the words “what a strike by Salim Adams”. Or some variations made colorful by Mario and Luigi, aka, Nana Darkwa and Sitsofe Atsrim.
Then nothing. Until the next one. Then nothing again for, sometimes, the length of half a season.
This time, however, there is a real force behind the hype.
For the first time in three years, the central midfielder is enjoying consistent game time.
He has played in the last 10 league matches, starting in 8 of them.
What has changed?
Two things: the structure around him and the environment around him.
The structure.
Unlike Hearts of Oak and New Edubiase, Medeama are a possession-obsessed, dominant team. That means, its midfielders see a lot of the ball.
Their kind of football is aided by the relatively smaller pitch at the Tarkwa and Abooso Park.
The size of the pitch is the reason, from Bashir Hayford, through the multiple stints by Evans Adotey, to the current Ibrahim-Tanko-led technical regime, every Medeama coach priorities small spacing.
In defense, it is exactly what Salim’s profile needs. It means less ground for him to cover and better protection when he loses the ball in the process of dribbling.
In the buildup, the smaller spaces have also forced him to adapt his game. He is now adjusting to short passing, and a lot of it. He literally does not have to think before finding Prince Owusu, who is usually within arm’s length.
Subsequently, his diagonals have become the needed variety in Medeama’s attack, often unleashing Kelvin Nkrumah, Kofi Babel, or Derrick Fordjuor to devastating effect.
Even his shooting is changing.
Smaller pitches mean the distance to the goal is shorter when attacking. Salim knows this.
That is why on Sunday, he wrapped his foot around the ball to bend it into the top corner from just outside the penalty area. In the past, it was exactly the sort of opportunity Salim Adams would put his laces through, blasting it over the bar.
He scored a couple at Hearts of Oak, including the magical goal on his debut in the CAF Confederation Cup. But it was painfully obvious that Adams was misusing his powerful right foot.
The environment.
The difference between Medeama S.C. and Accra Hearts of Oak needs no telling.
The scrutiny.
The pressure.
It can be toxic.
And for an 18-year-old who was thrust into a title-winning team after a protracted transfer saga, there was never going to be a grace period.
Salim Adams was expected to match Adjah Tetteh’s intelligence, Obed Ansah’s creativity, and match winning ability, Joojo and Bossman’s passing.
It was never going to happen. Not straight-away, anyway.
At Medeama, however, he was signed at the lowest point in his career.
It is a gamble James Essilfie, the club’s Chief Executive Officer, and president Moses Armah were prepared to take. His inconsistencies do not put them off.
He is encouraged to take risks as he did on Sunday, when he abandoned his position to join the attack, leaving the space behind to two Berekum Chelsea forwards.
If he had lost the ball, a counter attacking would have created a two-versus-two scenario, and any runners from the Berekum Chelsea team.
At 1-1, that is not the scenario a coach would expect his deepest midfielder to abandon post.
Tactical indiscipline, perhaps?
Logical risks, possibly?
But as they say, if you do not buy the ticket, you do not win the lottery.
Salim took a risk, and his goal was why, what looked like three matches without a win is suddenly two wins and two draws in four matches, and crucially, the win that takes Medeama back to the top of the league table.
He is still a long way from becoming the Prince that was promised, but he is right where he needs to be.
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