Nigeria striker Rafiu Durosinmi has revealed that fellow Nigerian international Paul Onuachu played a decisive role in his decision to join Belgian club KRC Genk from Italian side Pisa.

Durosinmi, who moved to Genk during the summer, said Onuachu encouraged him to choose the Belgian outfit after discussing his options and asking about the reasons behind his January move to Pisa.

According to the Nigerian forward, Onuachu immediately backed Genk when he mentioned the club as one of his possible destinations.

“He wondered why I had chosen Pisa in January and was curious about the options I had now. When I mentioned Genk, he immediately said that it was the best step for me,” Durosinmi said in an interview with Het Laatste Nieuws, as quoted by VoetbalPrimeur. 

The recommendation provided the final encouragement Durosinmi needed to complete the move, with the striker admitting that his experience at Genk has surpassed the expectations created by the positive reports he had previously heard about the club.

“That really gave me the final push to choose this club. And to be honest: the club really is fantastic. I had expected that because of all the good stories, but it has exceeded my expectations,” he added. 

Durosinmi has quickly settled into life in Belgium and has already made a significant impact for Genk, scoring five goals in his first six league appearances.

The striker said the club’s environment has also helped his adaptation, particularly the widespread use of English within the team and his interaction with the coaching staff.

He was equally complimentary of Genk head coach Jess Thorup, describing the manager as “top-notch” while explaining how quickly he became comfortable at his new club. 

“This is the first club where I was completely settled within a week,” Durosinmi said, highlighting the speed of his adaptation following his arrival from Pisa. 

The forward’s early form has also prompted him to set an ambitious individual target for the season, with Durosinmi aiming to reach at least 20 goals.

“At least 20 goals this season would be fantastic,” he said. 

Durosinmi’s strong club form, however, has not yet translated into a place in Nigeria’s latest national-team squads. He was left out of the 24-man squad for the September 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers and the separate squad selected for the October 6 friendly against Russia. 

For now, the striker’s focus remains on maintaining his momentum at Genk, where his early goalscoring form has made his summer move from Pisa a notable start to his Belgian adventure.

Onuachu’s previous experience with Genk appears to have given Durosinmi an additional perspective before making the move, and the striker’s early comments suggest that the recommendation has so far been vindicated by his experience at the club.