Nigeria international Tolu Arokodare has earned praise from NEC Nijmegen defender Perr Schuurs, who believes the Ajax striker presents a more difficult challenge for defenders than Belgian forward Romelu Lukaku.
Schuurs made the comparison after facing Arokodare in Saturday’s Eredivisie encounter between Ajax and NEC, which ended in a 1–1 draw at the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam.
Arokodare opened the scoring in the seventh minute, using his aerial strength to head home a cross from Jorthy Mokio. Although NEC recovered to earn a point, the Nigerian striker’s performance left a strong impression on Schuurs, who previously played for Ajax before moving to Italy.
The Dutch defender, who also faced Lukaku during his time with Torino, explained that the two forwards have different approaches to attacking play.
“Lukaku is a different type and easier to play against. He mainly wants the ball played low, while Tolu wants the ball on his chest,” Schuurs said, according to Dutch media reports.
The comparison highlights one of Arokodare’s major strengths: his ability to use his height, strength and jumping ability to trouble defenders in aerial battles.
Rather than relying mainly on passes played to his feet, the Super Eagles striker can provide an outlet for long balls and crosses, using his body to control possession and bring teammates into the attack.
Sports247 reports that Arokodare’s latest performance came during an impressive scoring run at Ajax, where he has continued to make his presence felt since arriving on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers.
His goal against NEC was his seventh across all competitions this season, further underlining his growing importance to the Amsterdam club. However, his individual contribution was not enough to secure victory, as NEC equalised through Tjaronn Chery’s penalty in the 19th minute.
For Arokodare, Schuurs’ comments offer further recognition of the qualities that make him a difficult opponent. The Nigerian forward will now look to maintain his scoring form and continue proving his value as Ajax pursue their targets this season.
