Moroccan youth international Adam Tahaui delivered an influential full 90-minute performance for NEC Nijmegen, opening the scoring early and driving his side’s attack throughout a dramatic 2–2 Eredivisie clash against Excelsior Rotterdam at the Goffertstadion.
The 21-year-old winger was a focal point of NEC’s offensive structure, utilizing his sharp movement and directness on the right flank to keep Excelsior’s backline constantly on the retreat.
Tahaui made his mark almost immediately. In the 10th minute, Icelandic midfielder Willum Willumsson picked out Tahaui’s intelligent diagonal run inside the penalty box. Displaying cold composure, the young attacker struck cleanly past the visiting keeper to hand NEC a deserved 1–0 advantage.
His early strike set a high-tempo standard for NEC, with Tahaui frequently drawing multiple defenders and opening pockets of space for central runners like Jamiro Monteiro.
Excelsior mounted a strong response as the match progressed, turning the game on its head through clinical counter-attacks. David Garden restored parity shortly before halftime in the 43rd minute off an Irakli Yegoian pass. The visitors then took a 2–1 lead in the 73rd minute when Valentin Sulzbacher finished off an assist from Aymen Sliti.
Despite falling behind, Tahaui remained a persistent outlet on the wing, continuing to press and deliver service into the area as NEC pushed for a late lifeline.
NEC’s relentless pressure paid off deep into injury time. In the 92nd minute (90+2′), Perr Schuurs picked out Noé Lebreton, who turned the ball home to seal a dramatic late equalizer and salvage a point for the hosts.
While Lebreton grabbed the headlines with the last-gasp equalizer, Tahaui’s sharp opening goal and non-stop work rate across all 90 minutes laid the foundation for NEC to secure a hard-earned result.
