Tolu Arokodare has an Ajax problem, and he cannot shoot his way around it.
The 25-year-old Nigeria international has started the season on fire, with seven goals in all competitions and the only one in Saturday’s 1-0 win over AZ Alkmaar. In training, though, there is one teammate he cannot beat.
“Ter Stegen drives me crazy during training. Sometimes it is extremely frustrating when you see him continue to save so many shots. You feel like punching him.”
That is how Arokodare put it to Het Laatste Nieuws, as relayed by African football outlets. He meant it as a compliment.
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Ter Stegen’s Amsterdam reset
Marc-André ter Stegen’s path to the Johan Cruijff ArenA was not a straight one. The 34-year-old, a Barcelona goalkeeper since 2014, joined Ajax on a season-long loan on 4 August 2026, with the Catalan club covering the bulk of his wages and no purchase option written in.
The move placed him under Míchel Sánchez, appointed Ajax head coach on 2 June 2026 after five seasons at Girona.
Amsterdam has gone well. Four clean sheets in 14 outings, the latest a Saturday stand against AZ Alkmaar where the German produced a late save to keep Arokodare’s single goal intact.
Germany place lost to Urbig under Klopp
Injuries and the rise of Joan García had pushed ter Stegen out of Barcelona’s starting XI before the loan. The international cost followed. When Jürgen Klopp took over as Germany head coach on 24 July 2026, after Julian Nagelsmann’s resignation in the wake of Germany’s World Cup elimination by Paraguay, ter Stegen slipped behind Jonas Urbig in the pecking order.
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The praise from his new teammate is not nothing in that context. Nor is the clean-sheet tally.
Ajax one point off top
Arokodare, meanwhile, has carried his side to within a point of league leaders Feyenoord after 11 Eredivisie games. The Nigerian also told Het Laatste Nieuws he is determined not to become “a one-season wonder”. Ajax’s next assignment is the one to keep that line honest.
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