Tolu Arokodare has promised goals ahead of Friday’s Arokodare Tanzania qualifier in Uyo, with the Ajax striker vowing to fill the void left by the injured Victor Osimhen in Nigeria’s must-win AFCON 2027 clash with the Taifa Stars. Speaking to the media in Uyo on the eve of the Group L fixture, Arokodare said scoring is the one job that matters for a striker — and he intends to do it, whether he starts the game or comes off the bench.
Arokodare Tanzania: ‘As a striker, I need to score goals’
“I think it’s very important because we obviously know how the last game went for us,” Arokodare said in a video shared on the Super Eagles’ official Instagram account. “As a striker, I need to score goals. That’s my job for the team. Scoring goals wins games, so it’s not just for me — for every other striker on the national team, we have to always try to bring our A game and score as much as possible.”
He added: “I think it’s very important for me to use whatever opportunity I get, starting or not starting, coming off the bench, to always try to be in positions and score goals. That’s something I’m really working on mentally and physically.”
Osimhen out, Arokodare in: the form to fill the void
Arokodare arrives in Uyo as the form striker in Eric Chelle’s 24-man squad. The 25-year-old has scored 13 goals and provided four assists in 17 appearances for Ajax this season, including a brace and an assist in the 6-1 UEFA Conference League win at Midtjylland and a third-minute header in Sunday’s 2-2 draw at Twente — a goal that made him only the second Ajax player to score in six of his first seven Eredivisie starts, matching Patrick Kluivert’s mark from 32 years ago.
His Nigeria return has not yet matched his club numbers — two goals in 12 caps — but the stage is set for that to change. With Osimhen out after knee surgery and Kelechi Iheanacho left out of the squad despite his goals in Turkey, Chelle needs a new focal point in attack. Reports from BBC Sport earlier this week said the coach has told Arokodare he will lead the attack alongside Akor Adams, although the confirmed starting XI is yet to be announced. Ademola Lookman and Taiwo Awoniyi are the other options up front, while midfielder Samson Tijani has said the target is six points from the two games.
Six points or nothing in Uyo
Nigeria sit second in Group L on three points, three behind leaders Guinea-Bissau, after Madagascar held the leaders to a 1-1 draw on Thursday — a result that kept the door open for the Super Eagles. Tanzania are bottom on one point, although they have already qualified for next year’s finals as co-hosts alongside Kenya and Uganda.
The stakes are clear. Nigeria beat Madagascar 2-1 in Uyo in September before losing 3-0 in Guinea-Bissau, and Chelle has said he will take responsibility if the results go wrong. Kick-off at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium is 5pm WAT on Friday, with the return leg in Zanzibar on Tuesday, 17 November.
For more on the qualifiers, check today’s predictions.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA) — collage by SportsBuddy
