Nigerian striker Tolu Arokodare scored as Ajax surrendered their lead in a 1-1 draw against NEC Nijmegen in the Eredivisie on Saturday. The result extended Ajax’s disappointing run of home performances at the Johan Cruyff ArenA, Bold Sports reports.
Arokodare has now scored four league goals for Ajax this season. He also has three goals in the UEFA Conference League, taking his overall tally to seven across the two competitions. The Nigerian forward had previously scored against PSV Eindhoven, Telstar and Excelsior in the league. His latest strike further underlined his contribution to Ajax’s attack.
Arokodare gives Ajax an early advantage
Ajax started brightly after the pre-match celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of supporters’ group F-Side.
The hosts needed just seven minutes to break the deadlock. Arokodare rose to meet Jorthy Mokio’s lofted delivery and powered a header into the net.
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The early goal gave Ajax the perfect start as they chased a response to their 2-2 draw against Excelsior before the international break.
However, their advantage lasted only 12 minutes.
Mokio fouled Noé Lebreton inside the penalty area, giving NEC an opportunity to equalise. Captain Tjaronn Chery stepped forward and converted the resulting penalty against goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen.
Ajax nearly restored their lead shortly afterwards. Mokio fired towards goal, but his effort struck the crossbar.
The hosts struggled to create clear openings before half-time, leaving both teams level at the break.
NEC frustrate Ajax after the break
Ajax increased their attacking pressure in the second half, but their finishing let them down.
Oscar Gloukh wasted a promising one-on-one opportunity after Julian Brandt played him through. The winger later missed another chance when he opted to shoot instead of passing to Arokodare in front of goal.
Arokodare also threatened to restore Ajax’s advantage. He spotted a short back pass and moved towards goal, but NEC goalkeeper Gonzalo Crettaz rushed out to deny him.
NEC briefly thought they had taken the lead through Chery. However, the referee ruled out the effort for offside.
Ajax manager Míchel Sánchez then made a double substitution around the hour mark. The changes included Simon Adingra, who made his Ajax debut after arriving on loan from Sunderland.
The substitutes helped Ajax sustain their pressure, but NEC remained difficult to break down.
Former Ajax captain Dušan Tadić also came close to punishing his former club. The Serbian forward attempted a long-range lob after a poor clearance, but Ter Stegen recovered to prevent the ball from reaching the net.
Adingra had another opportunity late in the game, although Crettaz dealt with his effort.
Ajax drop more points at home
The final whistle confirmed another frustrating evening for Ajax, who failed to turn their early advantage into three points.
The Amsterdam club had managed just one home victory in their opening four home league matches this season. The draw also followed their earlier stalemate against Excelsior.
Ajax will now turn their attention to the UEFA Conference League. They travel to Croatia to face Hajduk Split on Thursday, October 15.
NEC will also return to European action that day when they host Levski Sofia.
For Arokodare, the goal against NEC offered another positive contribution to his debut season with Ajax. However, the Nigerian striker will hope his goals soon translate into more victories for the Amsterdam club.
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