Super Eagles and KRC Genk striker Tolu Arokodare has won the 34th Ebony Shoe award for 2025.
The Ebony Shoe award is for the best player of African descent in the Belgian Jupiler Pro League.
The award was presented during the gala of the African Awards 2025 at the Tangla Hotel in Brussels on Monday.
His teammate Zakaria El Ouahdi was also among the five nominees.
The other three contenders were Noah Sadiki of Union SG, Nigeria international Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge) and Canada-born Nigerian striker Promise David who plays for Union SG.
Arokodare made the switch from French Amiens SC to KRC Genk in January 2023 and Under coach Thorsten Fink, he has developed into an absolute stalwart this season.
His tally this season includes 20 goals and six assists in the Jupiler Pro League.
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With two match days to go, the 24-year-old still has a chance to become top scorer of the season.
Other Nigerians who have won the award are Daniel Amokachi (1992, 1994), Victor Ikpeba (1993), Godwin Okpara (1995) and Celestine Babayaro (1996) and Paul Onuachu (2021).
The Ebony Shoe award is an award in Belgium given annually to the best African or African origin player in the Belgian Pro League.
The jury is composed of the coaches of league clubs, the Belgium national team manager, sport journalists, and one or more honorary jurors.
As of 2020, Mbark Boussoufa (3 wins), Amokachi (2 wins), Vincent Kompany (2 wins) and Dieumerci Mbokani (2) are the only players to have won the trophy more than once.
It was created in 1992 in association with the African Culture Promotion. The reasoning for the award was because it was felt by a number of African students in Belgium that football players of African origin were being overlooked for individual awards.
Eligibility was determined as a player being born in Africa or being of African descent for those born outside of Africa.
By James Agberebi
