“He is a god” — Tolu Arokodare credits coach Thorsten Fink for career turnaround

By Monsurah Olatunji

Nigerian forward Tolu Arokodare has credited his club coach, Thorsten Fink, for the remarkable turnaround in his career.

Before joining Belgian Pro League side K.R.C. Genk in the 2023 winter transfer window, Arokodare had a challenging time with his previous coach, Markus Gisdol, during a season-long loan spell at FC Koln.

The 24-year-old featured in just eleven games and struggled to make an impact, falling out with the German manager.

Reflecting on his experience with Fink, Arokodare expressed immense gratitude for the coach’s support and his impact on his career. The striker shared his deep respect for Fink, revealing how their relationship extends beyond football.

“He is a god. My whole life, I’ve prayed that such a person would come my way,” Arokodare told Soccernet. “It’s like we were predestined for each other. His son recently attended a training. I told him, ‘What a great father you have!’”

Despite his previous struggles with German coaches, Arokodare’s first meeting with Fink changed everything for him. “I asked him what he wanted from me, and what I needed to change. ‘Nothing,’ he said, ‘I want you to play like this, be yourself!'”

Arokodare was shocked by Fink’s encouraging words, especially after his past negative experiences. He continued: “I did not believe my ears. I suddenly had a coach who was 100% behind me from the first day. What more could you wish for?”

The Nigerian striker also praised Fink’s humanity, stating that the coach puts people before football.

“Anyone who doesn’t know him will never believe he is German. Germans are very strict, on the military. He’s different. He’s different. He puts humanity first, before his job.”

Arokodare stressed how Fink is like a father figure to him, someone he can approach with anything, even personal matters.

“He’s like a father you can talk to about anything. Even about video games, even though he hates them: at least he will listen.”

The 24-year-old expressed his commitment to making Fink proud, saying, “He is too dear and I don’t want to disappoint him.”

Samuel Ahmadu

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.

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