Nuhu Adams scores own goal as Hoffenheim fall to Stuttgart

Ghana defender Kasim Nuhu Adams scored in his own net as his Hoffenheim side succumbed to a 2-0 away loss to Stuttgart in the Bundesliga on Sunday.

On his 12th league appearance of the season, the centre-back directed a ball past his own goalkeeper to give the home side the lead en route to recording all three points.

The defeat at Mercedes Benz Arena leaves die Kraichgauer 11th on the league table, three places below Stuttgart.

Named in the first XI for the matchday 25 fixture, Adams was handed a second straight start.

Fifteen minutes into the game, the Ghanaian was unlucky to divert the ball into his own net in an attempt to intercept a cross from the right flank.

The game headed for recess with the two teams separated by the centre-back's own goal.

After the interval, Stuttgart made it 2-0 in the 64th minute as Sasa Kalajdzic slotted into the net from close range following a counter-attack when he was picked out by Congo DR attacker Silas Wamangituka.

Adams and his Hoffenheim outfit will hope to appease their fans after Sunday's disappointment with three points when they host Mainz next week.

The 25-year-old, who spent last season on loan with Fortuna Dusseldorf, has started in all but one of the 12 Bundesliga games played so far.

With his run of matches, he will hope to make an impression on Ghana coach CK Akonnor for a recall ahead of a 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against South Africa and Sao Tome and Principe on March 25 and 28, respectively.

The defender has not been called for national duty since an unimpressive showing in a 3-0 loss to Mali in a friendly fixture in October last year.

He was snubbed for a follow-up friendly with Asian champions and 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar three days later and was completely ignored as Akonnor called up a new squad for back-to-back Afcon qualifying games with Sudan last November.

Until the Mali and Qatar friendlies, he was a regular for Ghana, playing a prominent role during the 2019 Afcon campaign in Egypt.