KRC Genk forward Tolu Arokodare has blamed disgruntled gamblers for the barrage of online abuse he received following his crucial penalty miss in a 2-0 defeat against Club Brugge last week, Soccernet.ng reports.
Arokodare, who has emerged as one of the Belgian Pro League's top scorers this season, was expected to play a pivotal role in Genk’s top-of-the-table clash at the Jan Breydelstadion.
The match remained goalless until the 73rd minute when Genk were awarded a penalty, providing a golden opportunity to seize control of the game.
However, Arokodare’s spot-kick was saved by former Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.
The miss proved costly, as Club Brugge capitalised on the momentum shift, scoring twice in ten minutes to secure victory and deny Genk any points.
The 23-year-old Nigerian striker received widespread support from his teammates and a majority of the club's fanbase.
However, he became the target of vile attacks online, which included racist abuse. Arokodare believes gamblers, furious at losing money on bets predicting a Genk win, were responsible for the vitriol.
“I immediately felt support from my teammates, and afterwards, I received a lot of messages of encouragement from supporters,” Arokodare told Belgian outlet De Zondag via Voetbal Belgie.
“The accusatory, reproachful, and racist messages I received came from gamblers who had supposedly lost a lot of money because of me.”
Despite the negativity, Arokodare remained resolute, stating,
“The bombs in my path won’t stop me. They help me be ready for the greatness that’s coming.”
The striker backed up his words with a scintillating performance in Genk’s 2-1 victory over Anderlecht on Sunday.
Arokodare scored one goal and set up another, earning the man-of-the-match award and extending Genk's lead at the top of the Belgian Pro League table to four points.
