Omission Was ‘Painful’ But Fair – Tolu Arokodare Opens Up On AFCON Snub

Super Eagles striker, Tolu Arokodare, has admitted he saw his Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) omission coming, conceding that his form and limited minutes at club level left him with little room for complaint.

The Wolverhampton Wanderers forward, who moved to Molineux last summer after an eye-catching spell with KRC Genk, was initially included in Nigeria’s provisional squad but did not make the final cut for the tournament in Morocco.

From his living room, Tolu Arokodare watched the Super Eagles clinch bronze, edging Egypt 4-2 on penalties in the third-place play-off.

Reflecting on the disappointment in an interview with Counter Attack, the 23-year-old pointed to his outing against DR Congo during the World Cup qualifying play-offs as a turning point.

“To be very honest, I knew not anybody telling me. Since that Congo game because I would be very honest,” Arokodare revealed.

“That Congo game, the way I came on and off, and the way the result went, I don’t want to talk about the chance I missed because anybody can miss a chance. I obviously was trying to score.”

He acknowledged that competition in Nigeria’s attack was fierce, with established names like Victor Osimhen and Paul Onuachu leading the line, alongside in-form forwards pushing for places.

“The way my last game went with the national team wasn’t really the best and the way the season was going with Wolves. I wasn’t playing as many minutes, I am like, Tolu be realistic, if you’re the coach, would you call yourself?” he said.

Despite his pragmatic outlook, the sting lingered.

“When I saw the list and I didn’t see my name, I won’t say it was hurtful but I would say, it was painful to know you weren’t selected,” he expressed.

Since then, Arokodare has earned more minutes at Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. as they fight to steer clear of relegation. With the next international window approaching in March, the striker will be hoping his resurgence forces his way back into Super Eagles contention.