Tolu Arokodare Celebrates First Goal for Nigeria in Draw with Russia

Duro Ikhazuagbe 

After coming from the bench to score Nigeria’s equalizing goal in the hard-fought 1-1 draw with Russia last Friday, Tolu Arokodare, has said that his journey with the Super Eagles has just started.

The Genk goal-goal scoring machine in the Belgian Jupiler League made his Super Eagles debut last March and has now played four matches with a goal to show.

Yesterday, Arokodare took to his Instagram account to celebrate his first goal in Nigeria’s green and white jersey. “First international goal, the journey has only just started. We thank God,”observed the Ebony Shoe winner as best African player in Belgium this past football season.

After Super Eagles has conceded an own goal through Semi Ajayi, Arokodare came off the bench in the second half to score a goal to help Nigeria draw 1-1 in Friday’s friendly with Russia in Moscow.

However, in his review of the international friendly, Head Coach of the Super Eagles, Eric Chelle, appears not satisfied yet with his wards.

He probably wanted to see Eagles build on the win against Jamaica in the Unity Cup tournament in London a fortnight earlier.

Chelle has therefore charged the Super Eagles to continue to work on their pressing game ahead of crucial 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

In September, the Super Eagles will resume the qualifying series for the 2026 World Cup with a home game against Rwanda and then an away trip to group leaders South Africa.

Chelle said he has made many changes to the squad and the new players need to adapt to how the team press forward.

“We have made lots of changes to the squad, our usual pressing game was a bit difficult, the new players are yet to fully understand how we want to play, so we need to keep working on our playing pattern and try to find balance,” he said.   

The Franco-Mali gaffer admitted that Russia presented his team with a stern test.

“It was not an easy game because we played against a very good team,” he remarked.

“Russia have a good team with lot of pressure and technical quality.

“They had their chances in first half and they took it, we had our chance but the goalkeeper saved it.

“In the second half, Russia had two chances, but we had a chance and we scored,” concludes the Nigeria coach.

Chelle emphasised that Eagles didn’t play well the first half but seized the momentum in the second to get the equalizer.

“We didn’t play well in first half, we didn’t enforce our pressing game so well, but we were better in the second half with our pressing and that made the difference for us.”