Super Eagles striker Tolu Arokodare put on an absolute masterclass on Thursday evening, delivering two goals and a brilliant assist to lead Dutch giants AFC Ajax to a resounding 6-1 victory over FC Midtjylland at the MCH Arena in Round 3 of the UEFA Europa Conference League.
The match served as an exciting showcase for Nigerian talent on the European stage, featuring a four-way derby between Arokodare, Midtjylland’s Friday Etim, and second-half substitutes Julius Emefile and Stanley Iheanacho.
Arokodare needed just nine minutes to open the scoring for the visitors. Positioned perfectly inside the penalty area, the former Genk forward met Oscar Gloukh’s corner delivery and powered a header past the keeper to give Ajax an early 1-0 advantage.
Midtjylland responded midway through the first half thanks to a moment of individual brilliance from fellow Nigerian forward Friday Etim. In the 28th minute, the 24-year-old outmaneuvered his marker to collect a long ball from his own half, drove into the box, rounded the Ajax goalkeeper, and slotted home a clinical equalizer to make it 1-1.
The hosts’ momentum took a critical hit just before the break when defender Kjell Wätjen picked up a second yellow card, leaving Midtjylland with ten men for the remainder of the contest.
Ajax took full advantage of their numerical superiority immediately after the restart. In the 52nd minute, Abdellah Quazane headed a cross back across the box into Arokodare’s path, allowing the Nigerian striker to complete his brace with a sharp half-volley.
Seven minutes later, Arokodare turned creator, steering a header toward Owen Wijndal, who smashed a volley into the roof of the net to make it 3-1.
The Dutch side showed no signs of slowing down:
67th Minute: Davy Klaassen turned home a setup from Wijndal to extend the lead to 4-1.
76th Minute: Oscar Gloukh capped off his strong performance by scoring Ajax’s fifth goal.
83rd Minute: Marcos Leonardo—who replaced Arokodare in the 71st minute—sealed the 6-1 victory with a fine header.
The performance brings Arokodare’s streak to four consecutive matches with a goal, pushing his overall season tally to 12 goals and 4 assists across all competitions.
