KRC Genk has celebrated Paul Onuachu after the Nigerian grabbed a hat-trick in Wednesday night’s 4-1 away win at KAS Eupen, reports Completesports.com.
The forward was also named man of the match following his impressive performance in the game played at the Stadion am Kehrweg.
Onuachu scored his first goal of the game three minutes before the break.
The former Midtjylland of Denmark striker then scored twice from the spot in the 48th and 60th minutes respectively to complete his hat-trick.
“18 goals in 18 games for our number 18. Ladies and gentlemen, Paul Onuachu! ,” reads a tweet on the club’s Twitter handle.
On their website, Genk also revealed that Onuachu is the second player of the club in 19 years after Wesley Sonck to average at least a goal per game. Snock scored 21 goals after 18 games in the 2001-2002 season.
Onuachu tops the Belgian Jupiler League scorers chart with 18 goals, five ahead of Thomas Henry of OH Leuven while the duo of Raphael Holzhauser of Beerschot and Theo Bongonda also a Genk player who have scored 11 times each this year.
It was the Nigerian’s first hat-trick for Genk and fourth of his career. For FC Midtjylland in Denmark, he succeeded three times: once in the league, once in the cup, and also in the European preliminary rounds. From the spot, he is clear for KRC Genk: six penalties, five of which this season, all hit.
Onuachu’s 18 goals equal the number scored for the whole of last season by the duo of Dieumerci Mbokani of Antwerp and gent’s Jonathan David in 29 matches.
At his current average, Onuachu is tipped to exceed 30 goals at the end of the season, a figure first reached for Genk by Sonck nineteen years ago.