Tolu Arokodare is not pushing for a starting spot in the Super Eagles attack. He says the decision is up to coach Eric Chelle as Nigeria begins its 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign against Madagascar on Friday, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.
Arokodare plays for Ajax and is one of many options in a busy striker lineup after Victor Osimhen pulled out of the squad.
Osimhen, who plays for Galatasaray and is Nigeria’s top active scorer, could not recover from an injury. He will miss both qualifiers in September. The 27-year-old got hurt in a club match earlier this month.
Chelle has brought in Coventry City striker Taiwo Awoniyi as a replacement. He also has Akor Adams and newcomer George Ilenikhena to consider. The match at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo will start on Friday evening. Nigeria will then face Guinea-Bissau on September 29.
The Malian coach might decide to use two strikers. He did this during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, pairing Osimhen and Adams up front, with Ademola Lookman playing a creative role.
When asked if he should start more often for Nigeria, Arokodare focused on the team rather than himself.
“I think everyone that deserves to start should start if the coach thinks it is the right time for you to start, if the coach thinks you are the right player to start, if the coach thinks this is the right formation to play, then it should be done,” he told Naija Sports.
“Whoever deserves it, whoever has worked hard for it, whoever the coach feels is the right player to start should start. I do not decide, none of us decide. The coach definitely does not have, ‘this is my starting player.’ It all depends on how the game goes and how you want to approach different games, so I cannot really say.”
The 25-year-old made his Nigeria debut in a 2026 World Cup qualifier against Rwanda. He has 10 caps but has only started one match for the national team.
His performance at club level backs up his case for a starting position. He is on loan at Ajax from Wolverhampton Wanderers and has started well in the Netherlands. He scored just two minutes after coming off the bench in Ajax’s 2-2 draw with Excelsior last weekend.
There is a concern about his fitness. Arokodare recently recovered from a fever and admitted after the Excelsior game that he is not fully fit.
“I needed this match to realise that I am not yet 100 per cent fit. I still feel weak,” he said to ESPN.
Nigeria is in Group L with Madagascar, Guinea-Bissau, and Tanzania. Tanzania has qualified automatically as co-hosts, so the Super Eagles need to finish ahead of Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau to secure the group’s spot.
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