By Wale Mustapha
Nigerian striker Tolu Arokodare has been named in the 2024/25 Belgian Jupiler Pro League Team of the Season following a standout campaign with KRC Genk.
Arokodare, 26, scored 21 goals and contributed six assists in 40 league appearances, helping Genk to a strong finish in the domestic season.
His efforts were further recognized as he claimed both the league’s Golden Boot and the Ebony Shoe, awarded to the best African player in Belgium’s top flight.
The Team of the Season was selected based on a combination of Opta performance data and votes from professional players across the league.
Arokodare was included in a formidable front three alongside Royal Antwerp’s Tjaronn Chery and Christos Tzolis of Club Brugge.
The midfield was anchored by Noah Sadiki (Union Saint-Gilloise), Ardon Jashari, and Hans Vanaken (both of Club Brugge).
In defense, the team featured Zakaria El Ouahdi (Genk), Brandon Mechele and Maxim De Cuyper (Club Brugge), and Kevin Mac Allister (Union Saint-Gilloise). Anderlecht’s Colin Coosemans was named the league’s top goalkeeper.
Arokodare has made five appearances for Nigeria’s Super Eagles, scoring once. His inclusion in the team stresses his rising profile both in Belgium and on the international stage.
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.
