Durosinmi shines as Genk bounces back

Super Eagles striker Rafiu Durosinmi is off to a great start at Racing Genk. He scored in his second straight league game as Genk came from behind to beat Westerlo 3-2 on Saturday.

Durosinmi netted a penalty in the 41st minute to bring Genk back into the game after Westerlo had taken a 2-0 lead. This goal means the Nigerian has scored in both of Genk’s opening league matches. It’s a good start after his record €10.5m move from Italian club Pisa this summer.

Genk wanted this kind of start from the 23-year-old after making him their most expensive signing ever. But there is a warning about the expectations on the Nigerian international.

Johan Boskamp, a former Netherlands international, believes Genk should not put all the pressure on Durosinmi. He says the striker needs support around him to show his best.

“They brought in that expensive striker, of course. But if you don’t support him well, you can’t expect him to do everything alone,” Boskamp told Het Belang van Limburg, as reported by VoetbalPrimeur.

Boskamp’s comments followed Durosinmi's debut where he scored against Zulte Waregem. Sadly, that goal didn’t help much as Genk lost 2-1.

The match against Westerlo ended positively, but it also highlighted Boskamp’s point. Genk found themselves two goals down before Durosinmi’s penalty led to a comeback. Bryan Heynen equalized, and then Aaron Bibout scored the winner for Genk, securing their first league win of the season.

Durosinmi's contribution was significant, but it was really the team's effort that won the game.

There’s no doubt that Durosinmi has the skills to prove Genk made the right choice. Before joining Pisa, he was a top striker in the Czech Republic, scoring 45 goals and providing 16 assists in 125 matches for Karviná and Viktoria Plzeň.

His time in Italy didn’t help his reputation much, yet Genk still invested heavily to bring him to Belgium. Early signs show the Nigerian is settling in fast.

Two goals in his first two league games are exactly what Genk fans want to see. But those goals also show the risk of expecting Durosinmi to solve all the team’s issues.

A striker can score goals, draw defenders, and create chances for others, but he can’t control every part of the game.

Genk’s first two matches made this clear. They lost even with Durosinmi scoring against Zulte Waregem, and they needed a second-half fightback to win against Westerlo.

The tall striker knows how to score, but now it’s up to his teammates to set him up for success.

This means giving him good chances, improving the delivery into the box, and making sure the team stays competitive so his goals can really help.

For Durosinmi, the pressure will grow with every goal, just like it did for Tolu Arokodare and Paul Onuachu. But so far, he has given the club many reasons to be hopeful.