Super Eagles goal machine Paul Onauchu has bagged another award in Belgium after being named winner of the 2021 Ebony Shoe award, Owosports.com.ng reports.
The Nigerian International returned Nigerian’s name on the award list for the first time since 1996 after he saw off competition from Club Brugge’s Clinton Mata (Angola) and Genk’s Theo Bongonda (DR Congo) to the prize to succeed Dieumerci Mbokani – who represents Royal Antwerp.
The Ebony Shoe prize is an annual award given to the best African player in the Belgian Pro League.
The 26 year-old was in the form of his life as he netted 33 times in 38 appearances in the 2020-21 Belguim Jupiter league season helping John van den Brom’s side to the Belgium league cup title and runners-up finish in the league behind Club Brugge.
His impressive performances saw him being crowned the 2020-21 Belgian League Player of the Year and winner of the Golden Boot award.
With this feat he joins the short list of Nigerians who have scooped the price as he becomes the fifth Nigerian to do so after Daniel Amokachi (1992 and 1994), Victor Ikpeba (1993), Godwin Okpara (1995), and Celestine Babayaro (1996).
Babayaro was the last Super Eagle to claim the diadem after seeing off competition from the Congolese duo of Michel Ngonge and Jean-Claude Mukanya.
Also, Onuachu is the fourth player from Genk to win the Ebony Shoe after Guinea’s Souleymane Oulare (1999), Burkina Faso’s Moumouni Dagano (2002) and Tanzania’s Mbwana Samatta (2019).
