Paul Onuachu: Nigeria striker wins Ebony Shoe to complete awards hat-trick
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Nigeria and Genk striker Paul Onuachu (centre) receiving Belgium's Ebony Shoe trophy from the award's organisers
Nigeria international striker Paul Onuachu says he is proud to win the Ebony Shoe, which is awarded to Belgium's best African player or player of African descent.
It completes a hat-trick of awards for the 26-Year-old, who had already won the Belgian Professional Footballer of the Year and top scorer's awards for 2020-21 season.
The Genk striker becomes the first Nigerian to win the award in 25 years and comes after he scored 33 goals to emerge as the top African goal scorer in Europe this season.
"It doesn't happen to every footballer and I feel proud, honoured and delighted to win this special award as a Nigerian and significantly as a professional from Africa," Onuachu told BBC Sport Africa.
"To pick up three awards in a season is unbelievable and I thank God, my teammates and all the fans of Genk and Nigeria for the incredible support.
"I thank the organisers of the Ebony shoe award for their consistent and relentless support to African players in Belgium because this prize will continue to motivate us to do more."
Onuachu won the prize ahead of Angola's Clinton Mata (Club Brugge) and Belgian Théo Bongonda (Genk), who is of DR Congo descent.
Nigeria striker Paul Onuachu celebrating a goal for Genk
He also paid tribute to the players who he beat to the award, including the Anderlecht duo of Lukas Nmecha and Albert Sambi Lokonga - who finished fourth and fifth.
"They are fantastic players too and they all made an important impacts for their clubs. It shows Africans are making a great mark here in Belgium," he added.
Onuachu becomes the first Nigerian to win the Ebony Shoe since Celestine Babayaro's success in 1996 while he was playing for Anderlecht.
Nigerians dominated the award's infancy with Daniel Amokachi of Club Brugge winning the maiden edition in 1992 and again in 1994, RFC Liège Victor Ikpeba (1993) and Eendracht Aalst's Godwin Okpara (1995) followed suit before Babayaro's success.
Expectedly Onuachu has been linked with several clubs in Europe, but the striker who joined Genk from Danish club Midtjylland in summer 2019 had confirmed wining the top awards in Belgium will keep him motivated for the future.
As well as scoring goals at club level he has also ended a two-year struggle in front of goal at international level.
In March 2019, Onuachu scored Nigeria's fastest ever international goal against Egypt on his full debut, which helped the Super Eagles to their first victory over the Pharaohs in 29 years.
He then had to wait two years for his second goal, and this time he scrambled in Nigeria's winner deep into injury time as they beat Benin 1-0 in Porto Novo to celebrate qualification to the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.
Three days later, he scored his third goal international goal in 10 appearances and helped Nigeria coast to a 3-0 win over Lesotho as the three-time African Champions wrapped up their Nations Cup qualifying campaign unbeaten and top of Group L.
Ebony Shoe winners:
1992 Daniel Amokachi (Nigeria and Club Brugge)
1993 Victor Ikpeba (Nigeria and RFC Liege)
1994 Daniel Amokachi (Nigeria and Club Brugge)
1995 Godwin Okpara (Nigeria and Eendracht Aalst)
1996 Celestine Babayaro (Nigeria and Anderlecht)
1997 Emile Mpenza (Belgium/DR Congo and Mouscron)
1998 Eric Addo (Ghana and Club Brugge)
1999 Souleymane Oulare (Guinea and Genk)
2000 Hervé Nzelo-Lembi (DR Congo and Club Brugge)
2001 Mido (Egypt and Gent)
2002 Moumouni Dagano (Burkina Faso and Genk)
2003 Aruna Dindane (Ivory Coast and Anderlecht)
2004 Vincent Kompany (Belgium/DR Congo and Anderlecht)
2005 Vincent Kompany (Belgium/DR Congo and Anderlecht)
2006 Mbark Boussoufa (Morocco and Gent)
2007 Mohammed Tchite (Burundi and Anderlecht)
2008 Marouane Fellaini (Belgium/Morocco and Standard Liege)
2009 Mbark Boussoufa (Morocco and Anderlecht)
2010 Mbark Boussoufa (Morocco and Anderlecht)
2011 Romelu Lukaku (Belgium/DR Congo and Anderlecht)
2012 Dieumerci Mbokani (DR Congo and Anderlecht)
2013 Mbaye Leye (Senegal and Zulte Waregem)
2014 Michy Batshuayi (Belgium/DR Congo and Standard Liege)
2015 Neeskens Kebano (DR Congo and Charleroi)
2016 Sofiane Hanni (Algeria and Mechelen)
2017 Youri Tielemans (Belgium/DR Congo and Anderlecht)
2018 Anthony Limbombe (Belgium/DR Congo and Club Brugge)
2019 Mbwana Samatta (Tanzania and Genk)
2020 Dieumerci Mbokani (DR Congo and Antwerp)
2021 Paul Onuachu (Nigeria and Genk)