How Onuachu has demonstrated why doubting him was misguided

Every professional in the sport truly detests having their commitment and professionalism questioned. 

It was not surprising seeing West Bromwich Albion playmaker Matheus Pereira release a piercing statement on Monday afternoon, essentially hitting back at critics who believed he wasn’t giving his all for The Albion. 

While Genk frontman Paul Onuachu has been quiet on his future, some observers haven’t been kind to the marksman following reports the Nigerian wants to leave the club. The Owerri-born striker thrived in his second campaign in Belgium, scoring a staggering 33 times and setting up another five in 2020/21. 

This not only saw the towering frontman claim the Golden Boot but also named Professional Footballer of the Year following an amazing season. There have been links to several clubs across Europe, with Premier League side West Ham United one of the clubs previously mentioned in the media, but nothing has materialised. 

The upshot of not getting a bigger move despite last season’s success meant observers were likely to scrutinise the 27-year-old’s every move and body language. 

Thus, it was unsurprising to read the remarks of former Belgium and Genk midfielder Marc Hendrikx, who felt the Nigerian had to be dropped for Tuesday night’s Champions League third qualifying round first-leg encounter with Shakhtar Donetsk. 

“It is positive that I do not miss Onuachu”, Hendrikx told HBvL per Voetbal Krant. “I thought Cyriel Dessers played excellently against Oostende. So, I advise Van den Brom to continue on that path. 

“Let Onuachu work on a transfer. I wouldn't put him up against Donetsk either. He will be gone at the end of August - completely normal after such a season. Just continue building with the guys who have to do it this season.”

While the aforementioned reaction was a tad harsh, it was somewhat expected, particularly as the Nigerian fired blanks against Standard Liege on July 23. He was then dropped for last Friday’s 4-3 defeat by KV Oostende, eliciting even more reports concerning his future. 

Having said that, Onuachu returned to the side for Tuesday’s Champions League encounter and netted Genk’s first and only goal in the eventual 2-1 defeat against the Ukraine outfit. The marksman headed home Junya Ito’s cross beyond Anatolii Trubin in the 39th minute, but second-half goals from Tete and Alan Patrick turned the encounter at Luminus Arena on its head.

While it may be an overreaction to suggest the centre-forward’s first strike of the new season means he doesn’t still want a move away, it puts paid to any notion he isn’t giving his best for the Smurfs. 

The Belgian outfit does face a daunting task in next week’s reverse fixture in Kyiv, but with their top West African back on the scoring trail, they definitely have a chance of winning on aggregate. 

Contrary to popular opinion, a move away for Onuachu isn’t set in stone. This was explained by the striker’s current boss John van den Brom recently in an interview in which he shed light on the situation.

“I hope that on 1 September we will still be without [Onuachu’s] departure,” Van den Brom was quoted by Voetbalnieuws. 

“It would be very nice if we could keep this core together. It is not certain that [Jhon] Lucumi and Onuachu will definitely leave, but for now, they are still with Genk. 

“It is the two players that we have said there is a chance that they will leave. However, that does not mean that they leave the club anyway.”

Onuachu himself has stayed grounded throughout the summer and, while he may not hit goalscoring numbers from last season, he definitely shouldn’t be discredited or censured.

His strike on Tuesday suggests he’s still up for the fight in Belgium and this has to be used to good advantage in the club’s fight to overturn their Shakhtar deficit and compete in this season’s Champions League. 

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Seye Omidiora is a passionate football writer and pundit whose deep appreciation for the beautiful game exceeds the usual. He is currently a columnist for Goal Africa and has previously written for Vital Football UK, IBCity Info and Opera News.

Follow him on Twitter @theReal_SeyE

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