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| Genk's Rafiu Durosinmi celebrates after scoring. Copyright: Imago |
Super Eagles striker Rafiu Durosinmi has set his sights on a remarkable 20-goal haul this season after making a stunning start to life at Belgian Pro League side Genk.
The 23-year-old Nigerian forward has wasted little time justifying Genk’s decision to make him the most expensive signing in the club’s history. Genk paid a reported €10.5 million to bring him from Italian side Pisa during the summer transfer window, handing the powerful centre-forward a four-year contract.
Durosinmi has scored five goals in his opening six league appearances, placing him among the leading scorers in the Belgian top flight. His clinical form has already drawn comparisons with previous Nigerian successes at the club.
Different ways of scoring show a complete striker
What stands out about Durosinmi’s five goals is the variety. He has found the net with three headers and two penalties, underlining both his aerial threat (standing 1.92 m) and composure from the spot.
This rapid adaptation is especially impressive given the difficult spell he endured at Pisa, where he managed just one goal in 12 Serie A appearances during the second half of the 2025/26 season.
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| Genk's Rafiu Durosinmi celebrates after scoring. Copyright: Imago |
Having already reached five goals, the Nigerian is now targeting a significantly bigger haul before the end of the campaign. Speaking to Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws, Durosinmi revealed that he wants to challenge for the Belgian Pro League’s Golden Boot while setting himself a personal target of at least 20 goals.
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“At least 20 goals this season would be fantastic,” he said.
The target represents a major jump from his limited output at Pisa. However, his current form and confidence levels suggest he is operating at a completely different level.
Belief is key to early success
Earlier this month, after scoring his fifth league goal against Gent, Durosinmi explained that self-belief has been central to his impressive start.
“I am happy to have been voted Man of the Match again. It also feels good to be the top scorer at the moment. In football, anything is possible, but you have to believe in it.”
The striker had previously made clear that winning the Golden Boot is one of his ambitions: “I want to score, I want to finish high in the standings, and I also want to go for the top scorer title. I have always dreamed of that.”
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| Genk's Rafiu Durosinmi receives the Jupiler Man of the Match award. Copyright: Imago |
Paul Onuachu’s recommendation sealed the Genk move
Durosinmi’s decision to join Genk was strongly influenced by fellow Super Eagles striker Paul Onuachu. The former Genk forward, who enjoyed huge success at the club (including a record-breaking Golden Boot season), recommended the Belgian side when Durosinmi was considering his options after leaving Pisa.
“He wondered why I had chosen Pisa in January and was curious about the options I had now. When I mentioned Genk, he immediately said that it was the best step for me,” Durosinmi recalled.
Onuachu’s endorsement provided the final push. “That really gave me the final push to choose this club. And to be honest: the club really is fantastic. I had expected that because of all the good stories, but it has exceeded my expectations.”
The forward has settled extremely quickly. “This is the first club where I was completely settled within a week,” he noted, also praising the environment and head coach Jess Thorup.
Following in the footsteps of Nigerian predecessors
Durosinmi’s five goals have already placed him in the company of two Nigerians who previously made a major impact at Genk: Paul Onuachu and Tolu Arokodare. Both won the Belgian Pro League Golden Boot during their time at the club before earning moves to the Premier League. This clear Nigerian pipeline gives Durosinmi a strong precedent to follow as he aims for personal and collective success this season.
With Genk benefiting from his early goals and physical presence, the young Super Eagles forward is well-positioned to build on this foundation. Whether he hits the ambitious 20-goal mark or not, his start has already shown why the Belgian club invested so heavily in him.
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