Paul Onuachu, Nigerian giant who is a hit in Belgium
Paul Onuachu against Liverpool in October 2019 in the Champions League.
Liverpool FC via Getty Images - Andrew Powell
Text by: Farid Achache Follow
3 min
With his 2.02 meters, Paul Onuachu is at the top of the ranking of the best African scorers in Europe ahead of the Egyptian Mohamed Salah.
In Belgium, the Nigerian international is panicking statistics.
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The Nigerian giant has struck again!
Author of a hat-trick on Wednesday December 6 in Eupen, Paul Onuachu has moved a little closer to the Polish international Robert Lewandowski in the ranking of the top scorers in Europe.
On Matchday 18, the Genk striker increased his Pro League goal counter to eighteen, in as many matches played.
If we count only the goals scored in the league, only Robert Lewandowski does better with Bayern Munich (19 goals in 19 Bundesliga games).
With his 2.02 meters, Paul Onuachu is now established as the current African top scorer in Europe.
The 30-goal mark by the end of the season?
Trained at FC Ebedei from Ijebu-Ode in Nigeria, Paul Onuachu had already finished the year 2020 leading the top African scorers in Europe (15 goals) ahead of the Egyptian Mohamed Salah and his 13 goals with Liverpool.
It seems to be following the same path for this new year.
In the history of Racing Genk, only Wesley Sonck, who had found the net 15 times in the first 16 games of the 2001-2002 season, can bear the comparison.
The former Red Devil had won the best trophy with 30 goals, Genk's record in the first division.
Will Paul Onuachu go beyond this figure by the end of the season?
At the beginning of last October, Paul Onuachu made no secret of his ambitions.
“
I want to keep improving.
Belgium's top scorer, I dream of it, but I don't want to put too much pressure on myself
, ”confided the international in the Belgian daily Het Laatste Nieuws.
He is also delighted to find his former coach Jess Thorup: “
I have already been Danish champion with Midtjylland under his leadership.
And of course we dream of repeating that together with Racing Genk
”.
He played 181 appearances for champion club Denmark in 2018, scoring 74 goals and providing 23 assists.
Gernot Rohr's confidence
In March 2019, Paul Onuachu received his first call-up with the Nigeria first team.
He stood out with his first selection goal after seven seconds, in Nigeria, against Egypt in a friendly.
The Super Eagle participated in CAN 2019 in Egypt where Nigeria took third place.
"
I have started him twice, including the first match against Burundi,
" coach Gernot Rohr tells us.
He adds: “
He did not have the success he has in a club with us during the CAN.
He needs to be confident and to know his teammates well to evolve in the game. The public in Nigeria is very tough on him.
He wants to do too well and he must not put too much pressure on himself.
I support him because I know he will also be successful with us.
"
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