By Wale Mustapha
Nigerian striker Tolu Arokodare has shared his joy after scoring a goal on his birthday for his Belgian side, Genk, in their 3-0 win over Charleroi on Saturday.
Arokodare netted the opening goal of the match, marking his ninth goal of the season in the Jupiler Pro League.
Despite the victory, the 24-year-old forward acknowledged that the match wasn’t easy, especially during the first half when Genk struggled to break down their opponents.
“It feels good to score, but it was not an easy match. Especially in the first half, we had a hard time,” Arokodare said after the game.
“The dance during the celebration is one from the old box, especially on my birthday, it tastes extra sweet to score and also help the team.”
Arokodare’s goal helped secure the three points for Genk, who remain at the top of the Jupiler League standings with 34 points from 15 games.
Despite being in impressive form, the forward is still waiting for his first call-up to the Nigerian national team, but his performance continues to catch the eye.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
