Onuachu not missed as his Nigerian replacement fires Genk to victory

Genk celebrate with their new hero Tolu Arokodare

BELGIAN PRO LEAGUE Onuachu not missed as his Nigerian replacement fires Genk to victory

Faruq Ibrahim 20:39 - 05.02.2023

Nigerian duo Yira Sor and Tolu Arokodare and Ghana's Joseph Paintsil were on target in Genk's triumph over Gent.

Genk's new signing, Tolu Arokodare, signed to replace Paul Onuachu, scored the winning goal as Genk beat Gent 3-2.

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Genk, the league leaders, marched onto Gent's Ghelamco Arena as they looked to continue their title charge. Genk's West African stars were the heroes on the night as the Blauw-Wit picked up their fourth win in their last five games.

The home side went ahead in the 9th minute, but Joseph Paintsil equalised for Genk in the 23rd minute. Yira Sor came on in the 67th minute and almost immediately put Genk ahead in the 67th minute. 

Yira Sor fires Genk ahead
Yira Sor fires Genk ahead

Genk's new big striker, Tolu Arokodare, who also came on in the 65th minute, extended Genk's lead in the 87th minute. His goal would prove the winner for Genk after Laurent Depoitre made the game 3-2 in the 89th minute.

With the win, Genk maintain their lead at the top of the league table, while Gent miss a chance to break into the top four.

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How it happened

An unmarked Hyun-Seok Hong finishes into the bottom right corner, sending the home crowd wild, before Ghanaian forward Joseph Paintsil dummies the unsuspecting Paul Nardi in goal for Gent before lobbing the round leather over him. 

The game remained tight, with neither team scoring until the introduction of the Nigerian duo of Yira Sor and Arokodare. Sor, the young winger, ran onto a beautifully lofted pass by Mike Tresor to propel his team forward.

Arokodare would make it three after Nicolas Castro found him unmarked in the box before the Nigerian striker buried a low shot into the bottom left corner. Gent threatened a late drama when Depoitre reduced his team's deficit to one late in the game on a generous rebound, but it was a little too late for Gent to complete a comeback.

Genk celebrate with their new hero Tolu Arokodare
Genk celebrate with their new hero Tolu Arokodare

Genk have a new big striker

The hero for the Blauw-Wit in recent years has been Paul Onuachu, with the Nigerian striker spearheading Genk's title charge this season; however, the big striker left for the Premier League during the January transfer window and would no longer be a contributor to Genk's title bid.

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Genk replaced the Super Eagle with another Nigerian in Arokodare, and the striker has now opened up his account for the club. Tolu is of a similar physical profile to Onuachu, and if this outing is anything to go by, Genk would not miss Onuachu much.