By Dayo Awoniyi
Tolu Arokodare has shared his immense joy and gratitude after making his debut for the Super Eagles in Nigeria’s World Cup qualifier against Rwanda on Friday.
The 22-year-old striker replaced Victor Osimhen in the 77th minute of the match in Kigali, and has struggled to find the words to describe the whirlwind of emotions he experienced.
“Not sure words can explain how I felt playing my first game for Nigeria. I was excited, happy, anxious, thankful, grateful, overwhelmed with joy, proud. It was a lot of emotions,” Arokodare said.
Currently leading the Belgian top league with 17 goals this season, Arokodare was quick to express his thanks to those who have supported him throughout his career.
“I’m so grateful to God, to Coach Eric Chelle, and to everyone who has been there for me,” he added.
Following his dream debut, Arokodare will be determined to build on this achievement as he looks to make a lasting impact with the Super Eagles.
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.
