Tolu Arokodare has hit back at those mocking his 2024/25 season after helping Nigeria win the Unity Cup in England, Footynaija.com reports.
The 24-year-old striker, who ended the club season without a trophy at Genk, featured for the Super Eagles in the Unity Cup final against Jamaica and scored during the penalty shootout.
Nigeria clinched the Unity Cup after a 2-2 draw in regulation time and a 5-4 win on penalties. Arokodare, who was under fire for going trophyless with Genk, responded strongly on social media.
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In a video posted on X, he said: “Una think say I no go win anything this season. If you like, make una call am backyard tournament. Cup nah cup.”
The message was clearly aimed at critics, including fans from Ghana, who have tried to downplay Nigeria’s Unity Cup triumph.
After losing 2-1 to Nigeria in the semi-final, Ghana’s FA Technical Director Winfried Schäfer stirred controversy when he mocked the Super Eagles’ chances of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“We have good players around. We have a player in Auxerre, we have a player in Bilbao and we have a player at West Ham. If we win two matches, we can go to the World Cup. I don’t know about Nigeria,” Schäfer said, as revealed by 3news.
His comments sparked reactions across social media, with many Ghanaian fans calling the Unity Cup a “backyard tournament” and mocking Nigeria for celebrating it. But Arokodare did not hold back. His response, laced with sarcasm and pride, reminded everyone that lifting a trophy for the national team matters regardless of the competition’s label.
The Belgian Pro League top scorer for the 2024/25 campaign had a brilliant individual season in Belgium, scoring 23 goals in 45 matches across all competitions for Genk. Though Belgian outfit finished without silverware, Arokodare was named the Ebony Shoe winner, an award given to the best African player in the Belgian league.
With the Unity Cup now added to his name, the Nigerian forward has said that critics may talk, but his medal counts.
