Tag: Awoniyi

Taiwo Awoniyi has moved closer to signing for Liverpool as he is expected to fly out to England this week for a medical.

His trip to England means he is not likely to feature in next month’s All Africa Games in Congo Brazzaville.

“He will leave this week for England to sign his contract with Liverpool and that is why he is not here training with us for the All Africa Games,” disclosed Nigeria U-23 spokesman Timi Ebikagboro.

Awoniyi, who turned 18 earlier this month, is expected to sign a long-term deal with EPL outfit Liverpool and be loaned out to a club outside the UK.

He has been chased by several top European clubs including AS Monaco, FC Porto and Red Bull Salzburg. He has featured for Nigeria at U-17, U-20 and U-23 levels.

Taiwo Awoniyi is expected to sign a professional deal with Swedish club Kalmar next Wednesday when he officially attains the age of maturity.

But Thomas Andersson Borstam, the sporting director of the Red Brothers, did not give away much information when asked to provide an update on the situation of the Nigeria youth international

“There are a lot of clubs interested so we’ll see how it goes,” Borstam told barometern.se.

Awoniyi has been linked with possible moves to clubs in Tunisia, Greece, Austria, England, Holland and Portugal but the interested teams have to negotiate with Kalmar.

Kalmar have already paid Seyi Olofinjana €25,000 or 16.7 per cent of Awoniyi’s transfer fee while representatives of the club loaned him $2,500 late last year.

Tunisian club Esperance has not given up on a sensational swoop for Nigeria U20 striker Taiwo Awoniyi as they will send a high-powered delegation led by the club’s president to Germany to convince him to sign for them.

The Tunis club have made a first offer of $1.2 million for the player.

Esperance are ready to further break the bank to sign Awoniyi, who shone at the recent African Youth Championship in Senegal, after they signed his Flying Eagles teammate Bernard Bulbwa.

“The Esperance president and his vice are due in Germany this weekend to convince Awoniyi his future is with them. They are ready to table an improved offer for his signature,” a source informed AfricanFootball.com

The biggest stumbling block for Esperance in this matter is that Awoniyi’s handlers are very clear the 17-year-old striker is headed only to Europe and have tried to scare away Esperance by demanding for a king’s ransom, which the Tunisian club appear now ready to pay.

SL10.ng has been told that Dutch Eredivisie side Vitesse Arnhem have joined the race for the signature of Flying Eagles striker Taiwo Awoniyi.

A representative of the Arnhem-based outfit has contacted the intermediary that looks after the affairs of the U-20 and U-23 starlet over the possibility of moving to The GelreDome in the summer.

It is understood that Vitesse Arnhem were placed on alert after the 17-year – old netted a brace for the Nigeria Under-23s in an All Africa Games qualifier against Zambia two weeks ago.

As well as Vitesse Arnhem, representatives of Manchester United, Olympiakos, Red Bull Salzburg, Porto, RSC Anderlecht and Esperance have opened a line of communication with Taiwo Awoniyi’s minders.

But the most concrete interest so far has come from Tunisian powerhouse Esperance, who firmed up their interest by offering him a five – year deal and a sign-on bonus of 650,000 Euros.

Bear it in mind that Taiwo Awoniyi signed a preliminary contract with Kalmar after the 2013 FIFA Under-17 World Cup but the deal is not watertight as the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is yet to rule on the club that own his registration and economic rights.

The Nigeria Football Federation has queried all the parties involved in the transfer imbroglio threatening to derail the career of Flying Eagles striker Taiwo Awoniyi, SL10.ng understands.

Back in 2014, the 17-year-old penned a preliminary contract with Kalmar but United Academy supremo Razaq Olojo recently petitioned the local football regulator to render the agreement null and void.

Coach Olojo has based his argument on the assumption that the Swedish Allsvenskan side had reached an agreement in principle with Imperial Soccer Academy whereas the player’s registration rights were never transferred to the club.

In his own defence, former Hull City midfielder Seyi Olofinjana has said that Taiwo Awoniyi’s father (without the knowledge of the striker’s mom) signed a two-year contract with Imperial Soccer Academy, Odogbolu in 2012.

Therefore, in the eyes of Seyi Olofinjana, the club-to-club agreement his academy signed with Kalmar in 2014 is valid.

The Nigeria Football Federation Legal Department has written to the two academies and Taiwo Awoniyi’s agent to attach all relevant documents on the said matter in order to enable the NFF determine the status of the player.

It is understood that United Academy’s supremo has a joker to play if the NFF rules in favour of ex-Nigeria international Seyi Olofinjana, which can’t be published by SL10.ng because of the need to protect our national interest – the player himself.

Flying Eagles striker Taiwo Awoniyi has said his focus has now returned to the Nigerian U-20 side, ahead of the FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand.

The 17-year-old has been in inspired form lately, and was the match winner for the Nigerian U-23s last Sunday in Lusaka as his two goals were enough to secure a 2-1 aggregate win and propel Nigeria to a place at the All Africa Games (AAG).

After returning to the country on Tuesday, the striker says he has put the exploits of Lusaka behind him and is now focused on the U-20s.

“My focus now is on the Flying Eagles. We have a big competition coming up and that is where my heart is at the moment. We want to work hard to ensure we do well at the World Cup and, of course, before that, I have to work hard to ensure I make the team.

“The goals I scored in Zambia are gone now, I’m not thinking about them anymore. I’m only thinking of the World Cup right now and how I can be a part of it,” he stated.

The Imperial Academy product burst onto the scene at the last FIFA U-17 World Cup in the UAE, where he scored four goals after replacing the injured and more revered Isaac Success.

Flying Eagles goals king and newly invited Dream Team VI striker, Taiwo Awoniyi has prayed that he should score against the U-23 national team of Zambia in Sunday’s second leg, final round qualifiers of the All Africa Games (AAG).

Shortly after scoring two spectacular goals in Dream Team VI’s 3-0 spanking of Abuja Football College at the main bowl of the Abuja National Stadium on Wednesday evening, the onetime Super Eagles invitee chose the last friendly of the Samson Siasia tutored side to announce his readiness to lead the Nigerian team to success against the host team Zambia in Sunday’s make or mar game that would determine which country picks the 2015 All Africa Games’ ticket holding in Congo Brazzaville.

As humble as ever, the gangling striker already compared with the late Super Eagles goals king Rashidi Yekini prayed that he should score against Zambia while vowing to be a team player rather than playing to impress.

“What is important is to play for the team and to follow the Chief Coach’s instructions to the letter. In as much as I desire and I am praying to score goals against the Zambians if I get the chance to score, my main concern and duty is to work with the team to achieve our aims and objectives of qualifying for the All Africa Games at the end of this encounter against Zambia on Sunday.

“I am sure if we work hard as we have been doing in our training sessions and also play for each other during the match we will achieve this goal of picking the AAG ticket. With the way we played against the Abuja Football College in our last warm up game today (Wednesday)”, Awoniyi who scored the first and the second goal against the Abuja Football College told Sportinglife. Peter Onyekachi scored the third goal for the U- 23 national side.

“The player has really surprised me with his pace, skills and goals scoring instinct. I didn’t envisage he will adapt so easily with the rest of the players in this team since he hasn’t played in any of the local leagues here, especially the elite league. I am happy with what I have seen so far from him”, Siasia disclosed.