Super Eagles-eligible striker Tolu Arokodare found the net for his Belgian side KRC Genk in their 2-1 defeat against Anderlecht in the First Division A's Champions Round playoffs on Saturday.
Genk were in dire need of a victory to stay in contention for the European qualifying spots, with the title seemingly out of their grasp.
Unfortunately, the loss has dropped them to fourth place in the six-team Championship Round, trailing leaders Anderlecht by 12 points and falling out of contention for European qualification.
Tolu Arokodare's goal not good enough
Anderlecht started the game strongly, and had several opportunities to take the lead but failed to capitalize on them. However, they eventually broke the deadlock just before halftime through Yves Verschaeren, putting them ahead.
In the second half, Danish striker Kasper Dolberg doubled Anderlecht's lead in the 70th minute, leaving Genk on the verge of their fourth consecutive defeat in the playoffs.
Nigerian striker Tolu Arokodare provided a glimmer of hope for Genk by scoring in the 75th minute, assisted by Zakaria El Ouahdi. Despite their efforts, they were unable to find the equaliser.
The outcome means that Genk have now suffered four consecutive losses in the First Division A's Championship Round, effectively ruling them out of contention for the title and likely missing out on European qualification.
How the Belgian Championship Round playoffs work
As for the Belgian Champions Round playoff format, the point system remains the same as the regular season. However, there's a twist.
Each team starts with half of the points they earned in the regular season, rounded up to the nearest whole number. If there's a tie, the rounded points are subtracted.
The top six teams from the regular season compete in the Championship Round playoff. The team that finishes first becomes the champion of Belgium.
Each team plays their opponents twice, and the rankings are determined by points, rounded points, wins, and other criteria, similar to the regular season.
On the other hand, the last four teams will square off against each other in a Relegation Round playoff.
Tolu Arokodare this season for Genk
Arokodare's goal was his fourth in the playoffs across eight games, having previously scored against Union, Cercle Brugge, and Anderlecht in the initial clash, and then repeating his performance against Anderlecht in Saturday's match.
The towering striker has accumulated 15 goals in all competitions for Genk, along with three assists.
Although he hasn't earned a senior international cap yet, he will aspire to be included in Finidi George’s squad when the Super Eagles resume their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in June.