According to a report by ESPN Netherlands on Friday, October 23, 2026, Super Eagles attacker Tolu Arokodare has received high commendation from Ajax manager Míchel Sánchez.

The Spanish coach described the Nigerian forward as a special player who makes his job much easier following his decisive contribution to the Dutch club’s 2-0 victory over Atalanta.

Arokodare came off the bench to open the scoring late in the match, justifying his manager’s decision to introduce him as Ajax searched for a breakthrough against the Italian side.

The Nigerian striker’s contribution helped Ajax secure an important victory and provided a positive response to their disappointing performance against Hajduk Split in Croatia a week earlier.

Speaking at his post-match press conference, Sánchez expressed satisfaction with his team’s improvement, insisting that his players had learned from their previous setback.

“We played very poorly in Split. We cannot repeat matches like this. What we ask is that they represent the Ajax shirt in the right way,” the Spanish manager said.

Sánchez also acknowledged the pressure facing both himself and his players, explaining that commitment and hard work remain essential regardless of the outcome.

“I am happy for them. They are under pressure, just like me. If you give everything you have, I think things can go well or badly. But then you can't blame anyone,” he added.

The Ajax manager’s decision to introduce Arokodare after more than an hour proved crucial, with the striker providing the attacking threat his team needed in the closing stages.

Sánchez explained that the substitution was intended to give Ajax greater presence in the opposition penalty area, while acknowledging the importance of the substitutes in improving the team’s performance.

“I brought him on to create more threat in the penalty area. Sometimes you make substitutions and they don't work out well, but the return of the players who came off the bench brought about the improvement for me,” he said.

Beyond his decisive contribution on the pitch, Arokodare also received personal recognition from the manager.

“Tolu is a special player, as I have already said, and I have a very good relationship with him. But also with the rest of the team. I am lucky to have a team that works very hard day in and day out.

“Managing these kinds of players is sometimes not easy, but they help enormously. They make my job much easier,” Sánchez said.