By Wale Mustapha
Nigerian forward Tolu Arokodare has expressed his excitement after netting his first goal for the Super Eagles, stating he is eager to score more for the national team.
The 24-year-old striker scored the equaliser in Nigeria’s 1–1 draw against Russia in an international friendly played on Friday at the Luzhniki Stadium.
Arokodare capitalised on a mistake by Russian goalkeeper Matvey Safonov in the 71st minute, reacting quickly to a loose ball and slotting it home.
The Genk striker celebrated the milestone on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, writing: “First international goal, the journey has only just started. We thank God.”
Arokodare, who now has five appearances for head coach Éric Chelle’s team, is hoping his debut goal will mark the beginning of a successful international career.
With Nigeria preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Arokodare’s goal comes as a timely boost for the team’s attacking options.
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.
