Rafiu Durosinmi has immediately justified his record price tag at KRC Genk. The 23-year-old Nigerian striker has scored five goals in his first six Jupiler Pro League appearances since his €10.5 million move from Pisa this summer.
The investment is paying off. Three of those five strikes have been headers, including the equaliser against KAA Gent last Saturday. From a Junya Ito corner in the 47th minute, Durosinmi powered home a header to secure a 1-1 draw, earning personal congratulations from Gent coach Rik De Mil after the final whistle.
Manager Jess Thorup identifies his timing as the key asset. "He mainly makes a difference with his timing. More than with his length. He can also do more than just head and score," Thorup said. The coach also expects assists from the 1.92-metre forward due to his ability to lay the ball off for others. Assistant coach Peter Balette is tasked with designing set-piece routines specifically to exploit Durosinmi's movement.
The striker himself works diligently on it. He says he has focused on reading the ball from an early age. "I always look at the ball and calculate where it will end up based on the pass," Durosinmi explains. After training, he regularly asks defenders and wingers to deliver crosses to sharpen his timing and movement.
His agent Tosin Dosunmu, a former winger in Belgium, sees parallels with another Nigerian star. "Rafiu sometimes reminds me of Victor Osimhen, with the difference that he is really very strong with his head," Dosunmu said. He notes the same physical presence, intensity, and relentless desire to score, but believes Durosinmi possesses a specific aerial quality that could potentially edge out Osimhen. He stresses the striker is not yet at his peak and his relationships with teammates are still developing.
Teammate Josue Kongolo can attest to that. The defender says he loves having Durosinmi on his team but hates marking him in training. "There's no point defending Durosinmi in the air," Kongolo admits, describing how he has to push the striker with both hands on his side during practice sessions.
In this form, Durosinmi tops Genk's scoring charts this early season. The team currently sits ninth in the Jupiler Pro League with nine points from six games. A recent five-match unbeaten run (DDWDW) builds confidence ahead of the next fixture, an away trip to third-placed Club Brugge. Supporters can check the full standings and upcoming fixtures schedule. The next test for Durosinmi and Genk comes on Sunday against Brugge, where his aerial threat could once again be a decisive weapon.
This story first appeared at afrik-foot.com
