Tolu Arokodare took the lead after nine minutes at the Johan Cruijff Arena on Saturday night. “Ajax” defeated “AZ Alkmaar” with a score of 1:0 in the Eredivisie. The result ended an 11-match winless streak against AZ and kept Ajax in second place, one point behind Feyenoord.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Encounter | Ajax 1-0 AZ Alkmaar, Eredivisie Round 11 |
| Date and place | Saturday, October 31, 2026, Johan Cruijff ArenA, Amsterdam |
| Purpose | Arokodare, 9th minute, header from Abdellah Ouaza’s pass |
| Play time | Steven Berquis was replaced in the 73rd minute |
| Table | Ajax is second, one point behind Feyenoord |
| Next is Nigeria | Tanzania, November 11 and 15 |
How the goal came
It happened quickly.
Jorthy Mokio made a run, Ouazane curled the ball in from the left and Arokodare got on the end of it. NOS called it a headline.
Then Ajax had to stop.
After the first 20 minutes and finishing with 19 shots to Ajax’s nine, AZ controlled most of the game, so Marc-André ter Stegen was busy, making five saves and stopping Mexx Meerdink with the last chance of the night.
“Ajax” head coach Michel Sanchez did not hide it. “It was a tough match against a strong team,” he said in a statement by NOS in Dutch. He also said his players lacked intensity in their defensive transitions, although he praised the compact defense that maintained the lead and kept a clean sheet in a tight game until the end.
A fear. Julian Brandt suffered a thigh problem in the 38th minute and was replaced by Oscar Gloukh. Míchel said the injury “doesn’t appear to be a serious injury”.
The result that “Ajax” has been waiting for years
Ajax had not beaten AZ in their previous 11 matches, with seven defeats and four draws. Their last victory was in March 2022.
Feyenoord slipped first. They previously dropped a point in a 1-1 draw with Fortuna Sittard. It lifted Ajax back above AZ, who are now fifth in the table after seven rounds.
Arokodare is in Amsterdam on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers, which was completed at the end of July. We covered his goal and assist in Ajax’s win over Atalanta a week ago, and it was another match where he decided the outcome.
What this means for the Super Eagles
Eric Chelle is yet to announce his squad for the two matches in Tanzania on November 11 and 15. Nobody knows yet. Arokodare may or may not be in it.
The conversation of the centrist is crowded. Very crowded. Victor Osimhen is the first name, Akor Adams, Kelechi Iheanacho and Ilenikhena are also options and Arokodare was only used from the bench in the September qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau, playing 22 and 21 minutes respectively.
It’s the kind of line that lands on the desk of a winning coach against a side that holds Ajax’s number from March 2022. It is also the second time in the last ten days that he has been central to an Ajax result.
The warning is minute.
He departed after 73 and the home side put up some resistance after that early goal.
You can track how other Nigerians in Europe are doing in our Nigerian abroad stats tracker.
This article was last revised and updated 7 seconds ago