Tolu Arokodare continued his impressive start to life at Ajax, scoring his first goal for the club and providing an assist in their 4-2 victory over Sion in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League play-off clash on Thursday.
The Nigerian forward, who registered an assist on his Ajax debut, once again made a telling impact after coming off the bench as the Dutch giants secured a two-goal advantage ahead of next week’s return leg.
Sion made a bright start and took the lead in the 34th minute when Frank Surdez found the back of the net to put the hosts 1-0 ahead.
Ajax responded strongly in the second half, with Julian Brandt equalising in the 53rd minute before Marcos Leonardo completed the turnaround seven minutes later to make it 2-1.
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Despite going behind, Sion refused to give up and restored parity in the 71st minute when Ilyas Chouaref converted from the penalty spot.
Ajax immediately reacted with a triple substitution in the 72nd minute, with Arokodare among the players introduced as the visitors searched for another breakthrough.
The 25-year-old needed just two minutes to make his presence felt, rising highest to head the ball into the net and restore Ajax’s lead at 3-2.
Arokodare turned provider in the 87th minute, setting up Davy Klaassen, who produced a composed finish by lobbing the goalkeeper to complete Ajax’s 4-2 victory.
The result leaves Ajax one step away from securing their place in the league phase of the 2026/27 UEFA Conference League, with the return leg scheduled for August 27 at the Johan Cruijff ArenA.
Arokodare has now registered one goal and two assists in four appearances for Ajax, underlining his growing influence since arriving at the club on loan from Wolves.
The Nigerian forward will now look to build on his promising start as he continues his push for a more prominent role in Ajax’s squad.
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