Super Eagles striker Tolu Arokodare has spoken about his omission from Nigeria’s squad for the Africa Cup of Nations, admitting he was not shocked by the decision given his form and limited minutes at club level at the time.
Arokodare, who joined Wolverhampton Wanderers last summer after an impressive spell with KRC Genk, made the provisional list for the tournament but failed to survive the final cut. He ultimately watched from home as the Super Eagles battled their way to a bronze medal in Morocco, edging Egypt 4–2 on penalties in the third-place playoff.
“I knew, without anyone telling me”
Speaking to Counter Attack, the forward said that his exclusion had felt inevitable long before the final squad was announced, tracing the turning point to Nigeria’s FIFA World Cup qualifying playoff against DR Congo.
“To be very honest, I knew, not anybody telling me. Since that Congo game because I would be very honest,” Arokodare said.
“That Congo game, the way I came on and off, and the way the result went… I don’t want to talk about the chance I missed because anybody can miss a chance. I obviously was trying to score.”
For Arokodare, that performance, combined with his lack of regular starts at Wolves, forced an honest self-assessment.
Depth, form, and hard truths
Rather than blaming circumstances, the striker acknowledged the brutal competition within Nigeria’s attacking ranks and the importance of form heading into a major tournament.
“The way my last game went with the national team wasn’t really the best and the way the season was going with Wolves. I wasn’t playing as many minutes,” he explained.
“I am like, Tolu be realistic, if you’re the coach, would you call yourself?”
He pointed to the sheer quality and momentum of Nigeria’s forward options at the time, led by Victor Osimhen and Paul Onuachu, both of whom were delivering consistently at club and international level.
“Look at the strikers,” Arokodare continued.
“There was Osimhen, Onuachu; who was the top scorer in Turkey ahead of Osimhen, who is our top scorer in the national team.
“There is Akor Adams, who is having a very good run with the national team and was doing very well playing alongside Osimhen.”
He also acknowledged that he was competing from the same bracket as Cyriel Dessers, Terem Moffi, and Victor Boniface, the latter battling fitness issues at the time; a logjam that made selection even tougher.
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Painful, but motivating
Even with that understanding, the moment the final squad list dropped still hurt.
“When I saw the list and I didn’t see my name, I won’t say it was hurtful but I would say it was painful to know you weren’t selected,” he admitted.
Since missing out on AFCON, Arokodare has responded in the only way footballers truly can, on the pitch. He has seen increased minutes at Wolves and stepped up his performances as the club fight to steer clear of relegation, gradually rebuilding momentum at a critical stage of the season.
With the next international window approaching in March, the message from Arokodare is clear: the disappointment is behind him, the lessons have been learned, and the push for a Super Eagles recall is firmly back on.
