Tolu Arokodare Is on Fire: Six Goals and Two Assists in Nine Appearances

Tolu Arokodare has continued his blistering start to life at Ajax, taking his tally to six goals and two assists in just nine appearances across all competitions. The Nigerian striker's form has now earned him a recall to the Super Eagles for the first time in ten months.

A Goal Contribution Almost Every Game

Arokodare joined Ajax in July on a season-long loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers, with the Dutch club holding an option to sign him permanently for around €20m.

He wasted little time making an impact, setting up a goal off the bench on his Eredivisie debut before quickly adding goals of his own in both the league and the UEFA Conference Cup playoffs.

His latest strike came in a 2-2 draw with Excelsior on 19 September, extending a run that now sees him produce a goal or an assist in almost every appearance he makes.

Tolu's form has moved him ahead of Marcos Leonardo and Kasper Dolberg in Ajax's striking pecking order, and pundits have praised not just his goal tally but the touch and technique behind it.

Back in the Super Eagles Fold

Arokodare's revival in Amsterdam has not gone unnoticed at the international level. He has now been recalled to Nigeria's squad after being left out for the previous international breaks, including the period around the Super Eagles' World Cup playoff final defeat to DR Congo.

His return comes at a timely moment for Nigeria. Victor Osimhen has been ruled out of both qualifiers after failing to recover from a muscle strain, forcing head coach Eric Chelle to lean on his other central options.

Arokodare now finds himself competing for minutes alongside Akor Adams and returning striker Taiwo Awoniyi, stepping into the gap left by the team's most reliable goal-scorer at exactly the moment his club form has peaked.

The striker will link up with the national team for Nigeria's upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Madagascar (25 Sep) and Guinea-Bissau (29 Sep), looking to carry his club form onto the international stage.

What he brings to the Super Eagles

What makes Arokodare's inclusion promising is not just his size, but the way he uses it. Standing as a genuine physical presence up front, he has shown at Ajax that he can hold up play, occupy defenders, and still bring real technical quality to his finishing, controlling the ball before picking his spot rather than relying purely on strength.

Tolu's movement and work rate off the ball have also drawn praise from his own coaches this season. For a Nigeria side searching for a reliable focal point in Osimhen's absence, those qualities give Chelle a striker capable of leading the line rather than simply filling a void.