Tolu Arokodare willing to sacrifice AFCON 2025 chance for Wolves redemption

Tolu Arokodare says his start to life at Wolverhampton Wanderers has required patience, clarity and a willingness to take a step back in order to move forward.

The Super Eagles striker, who joined Wolves from Genk without a proper pre-season, has spent most of the campaign coming off the bench. Yet the 25-year-old insists there has been no confusion about his role and no frustration with the process.

He revealed that his earliest conversations with former head coach Vítor Pereira set the tone for his adaptation. The Portuguese manager gave him a detailed breakdown of what Premier League football would demand and why easing him in was necessary. “I had good conversations with Vitor Pereira, and he explained to me perfectly,” Arokodare told the Express & Star, adding that he remains “still new to the league” and is taking time to understand the rhythm and physicality.

Arokodare also made it clear that his attitude has not changed under Rob Edwards. The new Wolves manager has already outlined the standards he expects and the areas he wants the Nigerian to refine. “Rob has spoken with me, and he has told me what he wants from me,” the striker said. “If I have to stay out of the team and learn, I am OK with it.”

AFCON 2025 timing complicates Tolu Arokodare’s season

With AFCON 2025 beginning in late December, the stakes for Arokodare are far more complicated than a simple national-team call-up. CAF, backed by FIFA regulations, has set 9 December as the mandatory release date for players. 

That period falls squarely in the Premier League’s most congested run of fixtures, meaning Wolves would lose him for nearly six weeks. For a player still learning his place in the squad, that absence could push him further down the pecking order. Even at international level, Arokodare is not a guaranteed starter, Akor Adams has partnered Victor Osimhen in two of Nigeria’s last three matches.

Furthermore, his apparent willingness to bide his time out of the starting 11 as part of a learning process could jeopardise his spot as the Super Eagles fourth-choice centre-forward.

It is why the forward is torn between opportunity and stability. A place in Eric Chelle’s provisional AFCON squad is expected, but the prospect of leaving Wolves just as he is trying to earn his manager’s trust presents a difficult decision.