By Akinwande Soji-Ojo
Super Eagles and Genk striker, Paul Onuachu, has been named the winner of the 2021 Belgian Golden Shoe award.
He is the first Nigerian and the fourth African to win the honour.
Three Africans– Ivory Coast’s Aruna Dindane in 2003; Morocco’s Mbark Boussoufa, twice in 2006 and 2010; and Democratic Republic of Congo’s Dieumerci Mbokani in 2012, had previously won the award.
Onuachu finished in third place during the running for the 2020 Golden Shoe, coming behind the winner, Israeli star, Lior Refaelov, and second-placed Raphael Holzhauser.
Onuachu is Nigeria’s top goalscorer in 2021, finishing the calendar year 10 goals ahead of second-place Slovan Bratislava forward, Ezekiel Henty.
Onuachu scored 31 goals in 41 club games for Genk in the year under review.
Among the goals, he scored two hat-tricks and three braces.
He scored thrice against KAS Eupen in Genk’s 4-1 win on January 1, 2021, and Seraing on September 26, 2021 in their 3-0 triumph, both trebles coming in league games.
The 27-year-old bagged braces in the Belgian league against Zulte Waregem and Royal Antwerp twice over two legs.
