Nigerian football legends like Daniel Amokachi, Sunday Oliseh, late Stephen Keshi, and more, all plied their trade in Belgium during their playing careers.Super Eagles of Nigeria and Genk of Belgium striker Paul Onuachu has made history as the first Nigerian footballer to win the Belgian Golden Shoe award. Onuachu won the 2021 Golden Shoe Award after an incredible performance for Genk in the 2020/21 season.
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Onuachu, 27, won the award on the night of Wednesday, January 13, 2022, after earning 333 votes to see off the likes of Club Brugge duo Noa Lang with 272 votes and Charles De Ketelaere (271 votes). The Super Eagle emerged third in the previous year of the award behind first-placed Israeli star Lior Refaelov, and Raphael Holzhauser (second). Apart from becoming the first Nigerian to win the award, the former FC Midtjylland of Denmark striker is only the fourth African footballer to claim the prestigious prize. Aruna Dindane of Ivory Coast won the award in 2003, Morocco’s Mbark Boussoufa is a two-time winner (2006 and 2010), and Dieumerci Mbokani of the Democratic Republic of Congo (2012).
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Onuachu clinched the award for the year in review after scoring a stunning 31 goals in 41 appearances for Genk, registering double hattrick (scored thrice in Genk’s 4-1 bashing of KAS Eupen on January 1, 2021, and scored all goals in Genk’s 3-0 win against Seraing on September 26, 2021) and three braces in the process. But for a hamstring injury sustained barely a month to the kick-off of the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, Paul Onuachu who was part of the 2019 AFCON bronze-winning Super Eagles side would have been in Garoua for the group stage matches of the continental showpiece. Sources: Punch NG LIB Featured Image Source: Daily Post NG
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