August 03, (THEWILL) – Nigeria’s standout striker in Europe last season, Paul Onuachu, has the opportunity to pick up from where he left off when his Belgian club Racing Club Genk attempts to qualify for Europe’s premier club competition on Tuesday against Shakhtar Donetsk of Ukraine.
Although it has been a tough start for the club this season after two matches in which the Super Eagles forward did not score to leave Genk with a draw against Standard Liege away from home and a loss to Oostende at home in the Luminus Arena.
Yet, Genk manager John van den Brom believes in Onuachu’s abilities to take them over Shakhtar. The confidence is well earned as the striker scored 29 goals in 33 appearances last season for Genk in the League while adding four more in five appearances in the first division A playoff championship group for a total of 34 in 38 games.
That output ignited heightened interest in Onuachu from clubs in Europe’s top five biggest leagues enough for many to conclude that he had played his last season in Belgium and could move to any of the English, Spanish, Italian, German or French leagues to compete at the highest levels.
However, a combination of factors, no less being the hefty fee of about £30 million slammed on his head by Genk and the tight financials of clubs generally, have meant he may have another year at Genk.
They will need him to resume that clinical form in front of goal in Tuesday’s first leg of their qualifying matches to give them a UEFA berth. That will be their trump card if they are going to stand a chance against their Ukrainian opponents.
The odds are heavily skewed in Shakhtar’s favour as the Kharkiv giants are experienced in the competition’s group stages with the regularity of their qualifying, more recently reaching the group stage in each of the last four seasons of the UCL.
Their experience also comes from having won the trophy of the second tier of European football, the UEFA Europa League Cup in the 2008/2009 season and they were runners up in the subsequent season European opener, the Super Cup, which they lost to Barcelona.
Shakhtar’s strength of experience and Genk’s worrying domestic form nonetheless, coach van den Brom believes his top striker, Onuachu, has all the tools he needs to bring them into European football against the regulars over both legs. He said that much in a pre-match Press event: “Paul has trained well in recent days. He is available, he is in the selection, but whether he will also appear at kick-off, you will only see tomorrow.”
At the same Press event, Genk’s captain Bryan Heynen was also confident in the abilities of the Nigerian to deliver again for Genk at his best. Heynen said: “Paul is very important to us. We saw that last season. We need the very best Onuachu.”
It remains an uphill task facing Genk. Even if they get the best of Onuachu and scale past the hurdle Shakhtar poses, a final round of matches await. They will have to also beat the winner of the clash between Sparta Prague and AS Monaco, who are also in the playoffs, also contesting for a UCL ticket.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
