It was a weekend of contrasting emotions for Super Eagles strikers across Europe, highlighted by clinical finishing in the Eredivisie and a bitter-sweet personal milestone in LaLiga.
While Tolu Arokodare continued his explosive start to life in the Netherlands, Umar Sadiq opened his goal-scoring account in Spain despite a disappointing team result.
Arokodare Fires Ajax to Dominant Win
In the Eredivisie, Tolu Arokodare’s loan spell at Ajax from Wolverhampton Wanderers continues to gather serious momentum.
The 25-year-old forward bagged his third consecutive goal across all competitions to cap off a commanding 4-0 away victory over Telstar on Sunday.
After Davy Klaassen opened the scoring in the 37th minute and Steven Berghuis doubled the advantage early in the second half, Arokodare put the match out of reach.
Just four minutes after Berghuis scored, the Dutch winger set up Arokodare, who expertly struck from outside the box to make it 3-0. Marcos Leonardo added a late fourth to wrap up the points.
Arokodare’s strike marked his first league goal for Ajax, adding to his impressive three-goal tally in the UEFA Conference League.
Whether deployed off the bench or leading the line from the start, the physical forward is proving to be a versatile weapon for manager Míchel Sánchez, rapidly turning his temporary move into a strong case for a permanent transfer.
Sadiq Off the Mark but Valencia Stumble
Over in LaLiga, Umar Sadiq achieved a key personal breakthrough by scoring his first goal of the 2026/27 campaign for Valencia, though it wasn’t enough to prevent a 3-1 defeat away to Deportivo La Coruña.
With Valencia trailing 2-0 late in the first half following an early deflection off César Tárrega and a brilliant chip from veteran forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Sadiq gave Los Che a vital lifeline.
Capitalising on a misdirected header across the box by Deportivo’s Bright Ede, the 29-year-old Nigerian reacted quickest to fire home from close range.
Sadiq was a constant focal point for Valencia in his third appearance for the club, displaying sharpness and aggressive movement.
However, a deflected effort from Bil Nsongo in the second half restored Deportivo’s two-goal cushion, sealing Valencia’s defeat despite a late red card for the hosts.
