Super Eagles striker Tolu Arokodare has etched his name in Nigerian football history by becoming the sixth Nigerian player to win the prestigious Ebony Shoe Award, which honors the Best African Player in Belgium's top-flight league.
The talented forward joins an illustrious list of Nigerian recipients including Daniel Amokachi, Victor Ikpeba, Godwin Okpara, Celestine Babayaro, and Paul Onuachu. Arokodare is the 34th overall winner of this coveted prize since its inception.
The award was presented to Arokodare by Pierre Kompany, father of Bayern Munich coach and former Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany, in a ceremony that recognized his outstanding performances throughout the season.
Arokodare emerged victorious against strong competition, including fellow Nigerian Raphael Onyedika, DR Congo's Noah Sadiki, Moroccan teammate Zakaria El Ouahdi, and former Nigeria youth international Promise David, who is now set to represent Canada internationally.
"I'm happy, I'm very happy. I'm speechless at the same time, but I'm very grateful and very honoured because this is a lot," an elated Arokodare told RG after receiving the award.
He added: "I heard that I'm the sixth Nigerian to win this, and it's a huge accomplishment for me in my career to be able to put my name in the history books of Belgian football and also Nigerian football."
The Ebony Shoe Award has been a significant recognition for African talent in Belgian football since its establishment. Previous Nigerian winners have gone on to achieve remarkable success in their careers, with Arokodare now following in their footsteps.
This achievement adds to Arokodare's growing reputation in European football and could potentially attract interest from bigger clubs, with reports already linking him with a possible move to Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund.
The striker's recognition comes at a time when Nigerian forwards are making significant impacts across European leagues, further cementing the country's reputation for producing world-class attacking talent.
