Arokodare honours injured Dolberg after scoring seventh Ajax goal

Tolu Arokodare held up Kasper Dolberg’s number nine shirt after scoring for Ajax against NEC, dedicating his seventh goal of the season to his injured team-mate.

The Nigeria forward made an immediate impact in the home match, finding the net after only seven minutes. He rose above the NEC defence to meet a precise cross and directed a powerful header into the goal to give Ajax an early lead.

Rather than celebrating the goal alone, Arokodare collected Dolberg’s shirt and displayed it to the supporters. The Danish forward is facing a lengthy period on the sidelines after suffering a serious knee injury.

The gesture was widely praised on social media, but Arokodare said afterwards that the idea had come from fellow Nigeria international Victor Osimhen.

Osimhen had made a similar tribute to his direct rival Mauro Icardi after Icardi sustained a serious ACL injury. He then encouraged Arokodare to show the same support to Dolberg.

“I wanted to do something like this,” Arokodare said after the match. “Actually, it wasn’t my own idea; Osimhen told me, ‘You should do something like this,’ and I did it. I thank him for that.”

Arokodare’s tribute provided an emotional moment during Ajax’s meeting with NEC, while also highlighting Osimhen’s influence among Nigerian players competing abroad. His advice helped turn the celebration of a personal milestone into an expression of support for an injured team-mate.