Charting the key moments in Tolu Arokodare's career which made him the player he is today.
Senior debut
30th June 2019 | Valmiera FC 1-1 BFC Daugavpils
Growing up in Lagos, Nigeria, Arokodare played for several youth sides in his home country, including the Box2Box FC academy, and although he was unsuccessful with trials at European clubs such as SC Freiburg in Germany and French club Toulouse, the striker eventually made his way to Europe in June 2019 as he joined Valmiera in the Latvian first tier. Arokodare went straight into the team to make his debut later that month, as he played the opening 72 minutes of the team’s 1-1 home draw with Daugavpils – the first of 17 consecutive matches he would play throughout the 2019 season.
First senior goal
21st July 2019 | JFK Ventspils 2-2 Valmiera FC
It didn’t take Arokodare long before he opened his account in the Virsliga. After a goalless draw against Riga in his second outing, Valmiera travelled to Ventspils a fortnight later and the Nigerian was among the scorers to earn his side another point. After going into the break all square with the game tied at 1-1, Arokodare put his team into the lead just before the hour mark, but a late own goal meant the game ended in another draw. That would be the first of the striker’s seven league goals in his debut senior campaign, as he bagged braces in wins over FK Liepaja and Spartaks Jurmala.
Bundesliga debut
26th September 2020 | Arminia Bielefeld 1-0 1. FC Koln
Arokodare began his second year in Latvia in incredible form, firing 15 goals in 16 league games, which alerted clubs from some of the big European leagues, including Germany side FC Koln, who agreed to take the striker on loan from Valmiera for the 2020/21 season. However, it was a difficult period for Arokodare and the Cologne-based club, who struggled at the wrong end of the table. Playing just 11 times in all competitions during his season in Germany – mainly coming off the bench as a late substitute – for a combined total of 128 minutes, Arokodare failed to find the net.
International debut
21st March 2025 | Rwanda 0-2 Nigeria
Making a name for himself during an 18-month loan spell with Ligue 2 side Amiens, Arokodare earned a move to Belgium in January 2023 to join Genk, and due to his performances with the Belgian Pro League side over the following two years, he was rewarded with a first call-up to the senior Nigerian national team. The striker was selected for his country’s World Cup qualification matches against Rwanda and Zimbabwe, with Arokodare coming off the bench in both games to earn the first of his 10 international caps, while also scoring against Russia and Rwanda later that year.
Record scoring season
18th May 2025 | KAA Gent 1-4 KRC Genk
The 2023/24 Belgian season had been Arokodare’s best since his time in Latvia, firing 12 goals in 40 league games for Genk, but he followed that up in 2024/25 with the best season of his career to date. After blanking in the season opener during a 0-0 draw with Standard Liege, Arokodare scored four times in his next three, including a brace in a 4-3 thriller over Beerschot VA. He would go on to score 21 league goals as he claimed the title of the Belgian Pro League’s top scorer, before becoming the latest recipient of the Ebony Shoe, given to the best African player in Belgium.
This article originally featured in Wolves' official 2025/26 matchday programme. Last season's programmes are still available to purchase online through retailers Curtis Sports.
