Nigeria striker Tolu Arokodare marked his first appearance for Ajax with a goal as the Dutch club began their pre-season preparations with a 3-1 victory over FC Volendam.
The 25-year-old came off the bench in the second half and scored late on to complete the win at the Kras Stadion on Sunday, providing an encouraging first glimpse of what he could offer his new club.
Arokodare joined Ajax on a season-long loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers, with the Dutch side holding an option to make the move permanent. He was introduced in the 71st minute in place of Marcos Leonardo and needed only a short period to make his mark.
The Nigerian took advantage of a mistake in the Volendam defence to score his first goal in Ajax colours. After a poorly executed clearance inside the penalty area, Arokodare reacted quickest before finishing calmly to put the result beyond doubt.
His goal completed a positive afternoon for Ajax, who had already established control of the match through goals from Anton Gaaei and Marcos Leonardo.
For Arokodare, the debut represents an ideal beginning to his time in Amsterdam as he looks to rebuild his reputation following a difficult spell in English football.
The striker moved to Wolves from Belgian club Genk in September 2025 for £24m, signing a four-year contract after an impressive period in Belgium. During his time with Genk, he scored 31 league goals in 79 appearances and established himself as one of the country’s leading attacking players.
His form at Genk, however, was not replicated in the Premier League. Arokodare scored only three times in 33 appearances for Wolves as the club endured a difficult season that ended with relegation to the Championship.
His exit from the English club also came amid controversy. Wolves reportedly accused the forward of disrupting training while uncertainty surrounded his future, although Arokodare strongly rejected the allegations.
The Nigeria international defended his professionalism in a social media response to the claims.
“Throughout my career, I have always taken great pride in conducting myself professionally and maintaining the highest training standards,” he wrote.
Ajax subsequently moved to bring the forward to the Netherlands on loan, with the club hoping he can reproduce the goalscoring form that made him highly regarded during his time in Belgium.
His first appearance provided an early indication of why Ajax were interested in the striker.
Introduced with less than 20 minutes remaining, Arokodare made an immediate impression and demonstrated his ability to react quickly in the penalty area. His opportunistic finish showed the instincts that helped him become a prolific scorer at Genk.
Ajax will be hoping those qualities can translate into competitive matches as they attempt to improve on last season’s disappointing fifth-place finish in the Eredivisie.
The Amsterdam club are also preparing for European competition, with a place in the UEFA Conference League at stake if they can successfully come through the qualifying play-offs.
Arokodare could therefore have an important role to play during the season as Ajax seek to strengthen their attack and recover their position among the leading clubs in Dutch football.
For now, his first goal offers a promising start. Having arrived with the task of rediscovering the form he showed in Belgium, the Nigerian has wasted little time in making an impression in Amsterdam.
His next challenge will be to build on Sunday’s cameo and establish himself as an important part of Ajax’s plans for the new campaign.
