Super Eagles duo Tolu Arokodare and Raphael Onyedika have been nominated for the prestigious Ebony Boot awarded to the best African player in the Belgian Jupiler Pro League.

Union Saint-Gillloise’s Nigerian-born striker, Promise David, Congolese International, Noah Sadki and Morocco winger, Zakaria El Ouahdi are the other players nominated for the award.

Arokodare (Genk) and Onyedika (Club Brugge) have been at the heart of their respective team’s run in the league, as both clubs are also in a neck-and-neck race for the title.

Genk striker Arokodare is one of the leading scorers of the league with 20 goals while Onyedika has been one of the stars as Club Brugge reached the quarter-final of the UEFA Champions League.

The awards ceremony will be staged on May 12 after it has been decided by a jury composed of the coaches of league clubs, the Belgium national team manager, sports journalists, and one or more honorary jurors.

If either Arokodare or Onyedika wins the award, they will join the likes of Daniel Amokachi, Victor Ikpeba, Godwin Okpara, Celestine Babayaro and Paul Onuachu as Nigerians who have won the award,

Established in 1992, the first five editions of the award were won by Nigerians but there was a drought until Onuachu claimed it in 2021.

As of 2020, Mbark Boussoufa (3), Daniel Amokachi (2), Vincent Kompany (2) – for his DR Congo roots and Dieumerci Mbokani (2) are the only players to have won the trophy more than once.