Nigerian striker suffers online racist abuse after penalty miss in Europe

Genk and Nigerian forward Tolu Arokodare faced online racism after missing a penalty in their defeat against Club Brugge in the Belgium Pro League.

The match saw 5th-placed Genk hosting third-placed Brugge at the Cegeka Arena, with an opportunity to move ahead of their visitors in the league standings with a win.

In the 18th minute of the game, Tolu Arokodare, who has scored eight goals in 10 starts for Genk this season, had the chance to give his team the lead from the penalty spot.

However, his attempt went off target, shifting the momentum in favor of Club Brugge, who eventually secured a 3-0 victory with goals from Hugo Vetlesen in the 18th minute, and two more in the 73rd and 85th minutes.

Following the defeat, Arokodare was subjected to racial abuse on social media by certain individuals expressing their displeasure. Screenshots of these incidents were shared by Nigerian journalist Ojora Babatunde.

Tolu Arokodare was signed by Genk in the winter transfer window of 2023 as a replacement for another Nigerian striker, Paul Onuachu, who joined Southampton. Since then, Arokodare has scored 13 goals for Genk in 50 appearances.