Former Arsenal and Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor has criticised Nigerian forward Tolu Arokodare following his missed penalty in Wolverhampton Wanderers’ 1-0 Premier League defeat to Crystal Palace.

Arokodare, who joined Wolves last summer after an impressive spell in Belgium, failed to convert a late first-half spot-kick, sending a weak effort to the bottom-right corner that allowed goalkeeper Dean Henderson to save comfortably.

The miss proved costly, as Palace went on to win through Evann Guessand’s late strike, taking advantage after Wolves were reduced to ten men following Ladislav Krejci’s dismissal.

Speaking as a Premier League pundit, Adebayor questioned Arokodare’s confidence and decision-making during the crucial moment.

He said the Nigeria international doesn’t know what he’s doing for appearing uncertain in his actions, insisting that the attempt demonstrated a serious confidence issue.

“When you’re in front of the defender, the only thing he can do is either foul you or leave you to finish the ball.”

“Tolu’s lack of confidence, he doesn’t know what he’s doing. That’s a big lack of confidence. You can’t take a penalty like that in this kind of game,” Adebayor said.

Arokodare, still adjusting to the rigours of the Premier League, will hope to recover his composure and form ahead of Wolves’ next clash against Aston Villa.

The forward has been building momentum since missing out on the Super Eagles’ final squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, a decision he described as “painful but understandable” due to limited game time and the depth of Nigeria’s striking options.

Wolves’ coaching staff will expect Arokodare to translate his growing confidence in club football into consistent performances, particularly as the team fights to secure its Premier League status and the striker aims to reclaim a spot in the national team in the upcoming international window.