Nigerian international Rafiu Durosinmi has reflected on his electric beginning to life with KRC Genk following his summer switch to the Belgian top flight.
The 23-year-old attacker has quickly established himself as a focal point for the Smurfs, reviving his career after a forgettable stint in Italy with Pisa. Durosinmi had originally earned a move to Italy in January off the back of standout displays for Czech outfit Viktoria Plzen, but his transition to Italian football failed to yield results.
A fresh chapter in Belgium has completely transformed his fortunes. Durosinmi has rediscovered his predatory instincts in front of goal, racking up six strikes across his opening eight league fixtures.
His latest effort came during Saturday’s commanding 3-0 triumph against Kortrijk, a strike that propelled him to the summit of the league’s scoring charts and earned him the coveted Golden Bull jersey.
Discussing his fine form, the forward acknowledged that chasing the individual accolade provides an extra spark, while quickly recognizing the contribution of his squad.
“Wearing the shirt featuring the Golden Bull is a great feeling. It serves as added drive to maintain possession of it. Thanks to the support from my teammates, the goals are arriving naturally. The goal is to keep this momentum going,” Durosinmi told HBVL.
“Leading the pack right now is secondary; the real challenge is being in first place when the campaign concludes. Holding the lead early means very little if it isn’t there at the finish line.”
Durosinmi missed out on selection for Nigeria’s recent AFCON 2027 qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau under head coach Eric Chelle. Nevertheless, his prolific domestic run could make a compelling case for a recall ahead of November’s back-to-back encounters with Tanzania.
The recent pause in club football provided the forward with valuable downtime to recharge before getting back to business on the pitch.
“I remained here in Genk. We enjoyed a brief hiatus which allowed me to relax alongside family, which was wonderful. Even so, I was eager to get back to playing,” he explained.
“We had let valuable points slip ahead of the interval. It became crucial to lay everything on the line for our supporters and reset by claiming victories once more. That hunger was evident in the squad.”
Aiming to reach the 20-goal milestone this term, Durosinmi will turn his attention to Genk’s upcoming Belgian Cup round-of-32 fixture against Virton next weekend as he looks to add to his tally.