The London-born forward, who has committed his international future to Nigeria’s Super Eagles instead of England, was the hero for St. Pauli as the club secured only their second win of the campaign.
Afolayan, once capped by England’s C national team, struck first for St. Pauli after a brilliant assist from Jackson Irvine.
In the 36th minute, Irvine dribbled past two Hoffenheim defenders on the right and delivered a precise pass for Afolayan, who netted with a composed first-time finish into the near corner.
The Chelsea academy product made way for midfielder Robert Wagner with ten minutes remaining, having delivered a standout performance that laid the foundation for St. Pauli’s victory.
In added time, super-sub Andreas Albers sealed the result, calmly slotting the ball past Hoffenheim’s goalkeeper, Oliver Baumann.
Following the game, Afolayan reflected on both his goal and his team’s display, saying,
“We wanted to go out and put in a strong performance today – and it was a strong team performance. We knew how important this game was. I hope I keep scoring and we keep winning.”
A key figure in St. Pauli’s promotion to the Bundesliga last season, Afolayan recorded 12 goal involvements across 31 matches in the second division. Afolayan’s first Bundesliga goal also came in a 3-0 victory over SC Freiburg on September 28.
A product of Chelsea’s youth academy, Afolayan has played for Loughborough University, Oldham Athletic, Mansfield Town, and Bolton Wanderers, and is now looking to make a mark at the top level in Germany and, potentially, on the international stage with Nigeria.
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