Ludovic Ajorque Stays Cool as He Dominates in the Air

He returned just as he left—serene and composed. The Brest striker is the league’s control tower, though given his proximity to the ocean, “lighthouse” might be more fitting.

Ajorque arrived at Stade Brestois 29 last summer to numerically replace Steve Mounié, though without trying to be Steve Mounié—meaning he contributes more to build-up play.

Back in familiar territory, Ajorque has brought his 196 or 197 centimeters (depending on the source) to bear and established himself as the most fearsome player when it comes to aerial battles.

This month, Ajorque scored a brace against AS Saint-Étienne—his first with SB29—to bring his Ligue 1 McDonald’s goal tally to 12. That’s the highest single-season total for a Brest player since Bernard Ferrer in 1990-91.

Tallest outfield players this season (minimum 1 match played):

196 cm: Ludovic Ajorque (SB29)

195 cm: Juma Bah (RCL)

195 cm: Etienne Youté (HAC)

195 cm: Emanuel Emegha (RCSA)

195 cm: Zinedine Ould Khaled (SCO)

Not just a header specialist, but still the best… in the air

“Don’t be mistaken, he’s far from just a header specialist,” said his former coach at Racing Club de Strasbourg, Thierry Laurey, to Le Télégramme. Ajorque—currently seventh in the scoring charts—is more than a target man trying to exploit physical advantages. He follows in the footsteps of other towering forwards like Giroud, Hoarau, and Ibrahimovic.

Stat:

This season, Ajorque is tied with Corentin Tolisso as the top header scorer (4). He’s scored 19 career headers in Ligue 1 McDonald’s. His personal record in a single season is 6 (2021-22).

“There are games where I end up playing a lot of balls with my head, and it’s a bit random, so people say that’s all I can do. I’ve dealt with that my whole life, and probably will my entire career,” Ajorque said.

His former coach at Clermont (2016–18), Pascal Gastien, also noted, “You can’t reduce him to just a pivot role. For someone his size, his technical ability is exceptional. He’s skillful and involved in the play.”

That said, his aerial dominance remains a standout feature.

This season, Ajorque is the only player in Ligue 1 McDonald's to have won over 100 aerial duels (114). He’s also the only player to have contested more than 200… A sign that Éric Roy’s team—who wanted Ajorque back when Roy worked in the sporting department at RC Lens (2018) and Watford—are maximizing his strengths. Just like they did with Mounié (who won 138 of 236 duels last season, the best in the league).

Stat:

From Matchday 17 to Matchday 22, the Brest giant scored in each game—six straight matches.

Taller defenders? So what…

At 31, no one is just now discovering Ajorque’s physical tools. His heading wasn’t always a strength in his youth… Even when defenders are prepared, they haven’t been able to stop him from winning over 100 aerial duels for the fifth time in his career.

At Strasbourg, he regularly reached that milestone:

165 in 2020–21 (2nd best)

127 in 2021–22 (2nd best)

115 in 2019–20 (4th best)

105 in 2018–19 (13th best)

Still, competition among tall players is growing fierce. This season, 56 players stand at least 1.90 meters, including 25 defenders—Ajorque’s direct opposition.

Top aerial duel winners this season:

Ludovic Ajorque (SB29) – 114

Charlie Cresswell (TFC) – 90

Benjamin André (LOSC) – 83

By contrast, Ligue 1 McDonald’s center-backs rarely face forwards like him. Nearly 2-meter-tall strikers are rare… As Laurey said to Le Télégramme, “It’s not common to defend against a striker like that.”

This season, Emegha (RCSA, 1.95m) is about the only other center forward matching Ajorque’s height. The Réunion native is using that unique trait to help SB29 finish what could be a historic season.

Why No. 19?

“My first son was born in 2019, and my sister was born on the 19th. So the number really means something to me!”

READ MORE:

>>The crazy stats of Yehvann Diouf for Stade de Reims

>> PSG Make History With Unbeaten Streak in Draw Against Nantes