Soccer
KRC Genk kicked off their pre-season training ahead of the 2025/26 campaign with two players of Nigerian descent among the early arrivals — while star striker Tolu Arokodare will miss the club’s first friendly of the summer, Soccernet.ng reports.
Young winger Noah Adedeji-Sternberg and exciting forward Yira Sor were among 18 players who reported for duty at the club’s Cegeka Arena on Friday, as head coach Thorsten Fink took charge of his first session in front of a sizeable crowd under bright summer skies.
Adedeji-Sternberg, 20, was born in Germany and raised in Belgium to Nigerian parents.
Though he has represented Belgium at youth level, the versatile attacker remains eligible to play for the Super Eagles or Germany, keeping the door open for a potential senior international switch.
Yira Sor, 24, already has links to Nigeria, having featured for the Flying Eagles at the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup. The pacy winger is entering his fourth season with Genk after joining from Czech side Slavia Prague in 2022.
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Soccer Tolu unavailable for KRC Genk
One notable absentee from the first day of pre-season is Nigeria international Tolu Arokodare, who is among 14 players granted extended leave after recent international commitments.
The 24-year-old was involved with the Super Eagles a few weeks, helping Nigeria win the Unity Cup in London and scoring his first international goal in the friendly fixture against Russia.
Arokodare enjoyed a breakout 2024/25 season, finishing as the top scorer in the Belgian Pro League and winning the Ebony Shoe, awarded to the best African player in the league. The striker is now being closely monitored by several major clubs across Europe, including reported interest from Manchester United.
Genk’s first friendly will be away to local side Eendracht Termien on Saturday, 28 June, with kick-off scheduled for 13:00.
Imhonlamhen Eronmhonsele
Imhonlamhen Eronmhonsele turns into a ball of passion when writing about Nigerian football and its talents, whether rising stars or established legends, locally and abroad.
From the deepest corners of the Middle East, to the green fields of the Americas, to the celebrated grounds in Europe, and the rich soils of Africa, Imhons is more than glad, usually with a glass of a tasty drink nearby, to capture the essence of the game, by connecting the dots between culture, identity, and football.
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