Tag: Taiwo Awoniyi

Super Eagles striker Taiwo Awoniyi marked his return to the score sheet as Nottingham Forest claimed a vital 2–0 away victory over Brentford at Gtech Community Stadium, boosting their hopes of Premier League survival.

Awoniyi, introduced in the 68^th  minute, wasted no time making his presence felt. Eleven minutes after coming on, the Nigerian forward capped a swift counterattack with a composed finish to seal the win and snap Brentford’s seven-game unbeaten home run.

Forest had taken an early lead through Igor Jesus, who struck in the 12^th  minute after Ola Aina’s clipped cross deflected kindly into his path. The Brazilian controlled expertly before rifling a right-footed volley into the far corner.

With Forest pushing for a second goal in the latter stages, Awoniyi replaced Jesus and delivered the decisive moment, powering into the box before calmly beating Caoimhin Kelleher.

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Despite the win, Forest remain 17^th  on the table with 25 points, though now five points clear of the relegation zone. Brentford stay eighth on 33 points after missing the chance to move into the top five.

The goal was Awoniyi’s first of the season and his first since February 11, 2025, ending a long scoring drought.

It was a superb run and finish, and wonderful moment for the Nigeria forward, who underwent emergency surgery and was placed in an induced coma following a serious abdominal injury in May when he collided with the post in a league draw with Leicester City.

After a disappointing night for Forest in the Europa League on Thursday, with defeat at Braga meaning they require a play-off to reach the knockout phase, victory in London – and a third game unbeaten – provided some much-needed relief.

Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest will host Hungarian club Ferencvaros in the Europa League on Thursday, 29 January, with their next league outing against Crystal Palace at the City Ground on Sunday, 1 February.

Taiwo Awoniyi is set to return to former German Bundesliga club Mainz 05 as he has struggled for game time at Premier League club Nottingham Forest.

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The arrival of striker Lorenzo Lucca from Napoli has now meant Awoniyi will fall further down the pecking order at Forest.SportsBoom reported that a loan move to Mainz for the Super Eagles striker is now being discussed.

Super Eagles forward Taiwo Awoniyi has  gradually eased back to action for Nottingham Forest after his return to full training with the Reds.

The 27-year-old suffered a severe abdominal injury in May while playing for the Reds, which required a two-stage surgical procedure.

Following his recovery, Awoniyi made a public appearance at Nottingham Forest’s final league match of the season against Chelsea at the City Ground.

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On Tuesday, he trained with his teammates for the first time since the setback and he did the same yesterday without pains.

The Nigerian international will be gradually eased back into competitive action as he works toward full match fitness.

Taiwo Awoniyi has extended his contract with Premier League club Nottingham to finally end speculations about his future.

Awoniyi joined Forest three years ago from Union Berlin in the German Bundesliga.

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His goals helped the club stay up in the English top flight in the first two seasons, but last season, he lost his starting XI spot and also struggled with injuries.

Nigerian forward Taiwo Awoniyi has been speaking on the Nottingham Forest’s PFA Community Champion award bestowed on him recently. He was recognised for his outstanding dedication to supporting local communities by Nottingham Forest community.

The award celebrates professional footballers who go above and beyond to make a difference off the pitch. Thus, the big striker who was involved in an on field accident towards the end of the season was recently named Nottingham Forest’s PFA Community Champion for the 2024/25 season in recognition of his outstanding dedication to supporting local communities throughout the year.

The PFA Community Champion Award celebrates professional footballers who go above and beyond to make a difference off the pitch, recognising those who have shown exceptional commitment to community work and positively impacted the lives of others through engagement and outreach.

Giving Back

Throughout the 2024/25 Premier League season, Taiwo has consistently demonstrated his passion for giving back, regularly participating in local community programmes – including a surprise visit to a Premier League Kicks session, which was later featured on Match of the Day.

One of the standout moments of the year was Taiwo’s decision to self-fund and personally attend a community Iftar during Ramadan.

Organised by Nottingham Forest Community Trust in partnership with local charity Himmah, the solidarity Iftar brought together 70 people at Himmah’s Hub in Hyson Green. 

The evening provided hot meals and a shared space for people of all faiths and backgrounds to connect, emphasising unity and belonging. Taiwo shared the moment with Nottingham residents, including members of the Nigerian community, demonstrating his commitment not only as a footballer but as a positive influence and role model.

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Following the final game of the season last Sunday, club captain Ryan Yates presented Taiwo with his award in recognition of his continued efforts and impact off the pitch.

Recollecting the charity work during the Muslim Ramadan in March, Himmah’s Hub, which serves as a communal space providing hot meals and support to local residents, provided a suitable setting for the evening and attendees from diverse faiths and backgrounds came together to breakfast, highlighting the power of community spirit.

Taiwo personally attended the event, engaging with residents and sharing a meal with Nottingham locals, including community members of his home nation, Nigeria.

“I’m just sharing love to the community. Trying to spread love. To show the Ramadan month is so important to my Muslim brothers and also Lent month to the Christians.” Taiwo shared.

“And is a way of giving back to the community and bringing everyone together [with] love. It doesn’t matter if it’s your time, if it’s your resources.

“It’s just a way that everyone can be powerful to each other and growing up that has been my goal. That’s always been in me to try and assist in my own little way.

“Also, I try to develop the next generation of kids as well and it’s something that I hold dearly to me and which is very, very important to me.”

Uzair Hasmi, representing Himmah, expressed gratitude for Taiwo’s generosity: “Himmah is a social justice organisation specialising in tackling poverty, racism, and educational inequalities in Nottingham.

“This is the one night of the week where we struggle to find a sponsor for our hot meal provisions.

“Himmah is very grateful for Taiwo’s support and generosity to fund an event for the community. “Thank you, Taiwo.”

Charity begins at home  

Taiwo’s dedication to community support extends beyond Nottingham. In his home country of Nigeria, he oversees the Taiwo Awoniyi Foundation, which focuses on empowering young people through education and football development.

This event marks another successful collaboration between Nottingham Forest Community Trust and Himmah, following previous initiatives such as providing essential items to those in need over Christmas and supporting a solidarity fast at the City Ground earlier this month.

The award marks the height of an interesting yet sobering season for the rugged player.

Awoniyi said he is “still fighting, still smiling” after his horror injury in the draw with Leicester. The Nigerian international suffered a ruptured intestine after a freak collision with a goalpost in the closing stages of the match at the City Ground.

Awoniyi was placed in an induced coma after undergoing urgent surgery, and is taking things slowly with his recovery. He shared a moving statement on Sunday, with team-mate Morgan Gibbs-White later paying tribute to the striker after opening the scoring for Forest at West Ham.

While still on recovery, he issued a heartfelt statement: “This season has been one of the most difficult of my career but through it all, I have felt the love,” Awoniyi wrote on Instagram. “With the grace of God, I am grateful to still be here, to still be fighting, to still be smiling, and to be in good spirits.

“To my teammates, coaches, staff and the entire Forest family, thank you for your well wishes, seeing you all on your visit to the hospital lifted my spirits more than words can say. Wishing the boys the very best in these last two games, keep believing and keep pushing. I’m with you all the way and I can’t wait to be back out there with the boys doing what I love.

“To my family, friends and football fans, thank you for the support, and to everyone back home in Nigeria who has checked in on me, prayed for me and left kind words, thank you. I see them. I feel them. And I carry them with me every day as I recover.”

Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi has released his first statement following emergency surgery for an abdominal injury he sustained against Leicester City. 

He expressed gratitude to his teammates, fans, supporters, and family for their support during his injury and surgery. 

He said, “This season has been one of the most difficult of my career, but through it all, I have felt the love. With the grace of God, I am grateful to still be here, to still be fighting, to still be smiling, and to be in good spirits.

“To my teammates, coaches, staff, and the entire Forest family, thank you for your well wishes. Seeing you all on your visit to the hospital lifted my spirits more than words can say.

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“Wishing the boys the very best in these last two games, keep believing and keep pushing. I’m with you all the way, and I can’t wait to be back out there with the boys doing what I love.

“To my family, friends, and football fans, thank you for the support, and to everyone back home in Nigeria who has checked in on me, prayed for me, and left kind words, thank you. I see them. I feel them. And I carry them with me every day as I recover.

Awoniyi, who is currently in recovery, will cheer on Nottingham Forest, who are pursuing a top 5 spot in the EPL to qualify for the Champions League next season, with two games remaining.  

Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi is out of his induced coma and recovering well in hospital following urgent abdominal surgery.

The Forest striker suffered a ruptured intestine after colliding with a goalpost in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Leicester.

Awoniyi received lengthy treatment after the injury but then attempted to play on despite being in clear discomfort.

He was rushed to hospital on Monday evening after further investigations by Forest’s medical staff revealed just how serious his condition was.

The striker’s condition then worsened, which led to him being taken into surgery on Monday, after which he was put in his induced coma to help restrict his movement and regulate his heart rate.

“He went to surgery and surgery went well, thank God,” said head coach Nuno Espirito Santo at his  press conference ahead of Forest’s trip to West Ham tomorrow .

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“He is on observation now. He is recovering. We still have to wait for the doctors to allow visits. His family are there. We are concerned but we are positive.

“It has been very difficult on us and on everybody. The concern of the injury that he had, the situation that he went through. It has been hard on us.”

The club have been told that Awoniyi will be kept in hospital under observation for a minimum of five days, after which Nuno hopes he will be able to return to the training ground to see Forest’s players and staff.

“The information that we have is that he has to be there on observation for at least five days, [to check] that everything goes well,” he added.

“I will try to visit him as soon as possible, but he is in good hands and his family is there, which is what he really needs, the support of his family.

“The players are constantly chatting on the groups. We know that he is well, he just needs time.

“I hope that next week he can join us and be around. He is a wonderful boy. This season has been so hard on him, we feel so sorry.”

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis entered the pitch and expressed his frustrations after the  2-2 draw with Leicester City as he could not understand why the injured Taiwo Awoniyi was not substituted, manager Nuno Espirito Santo said.

The draw left Forest in seventh with their Champions League hopes slipping away and although they secured a return to Europe for the first time in 30 years, Marinakis was fuming when he remonstrated with the manager after the full-time whistle.

Awoniyi had come on as a late substitute as Forest searched for a winner but the 27-year-old forward needed treatment when he clattered into the far post on a quick counter-attack.

Although he re-joined the game minutes later, he was limping around as Forest failed to find the goal needed to move up to fifth.

“It was due to the situation. There was a confusion over the situation of (Taiwo Awoniyi). There was frustration to play 10 minutes with a player that had so much confidence and being positive that he’s going to score,” Espirito Santo told Sky Sports.

“We made the sub, then played with one man less. That causes frustration, it’s obvious… When there’s a player down, you get information about them. We got information he was okay to keep going.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t have another stoppage to change him and he was not able to continue to help the team. We’re all frustrated.”

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Although Forest will play in Europe next season, the draw felt like a defeat with their Champions League dreams no longer in their hands.

Forest have won only one of their last six Premier League games and the Portuguese manager was unable to explain their sudden drop-off.

“I don’t know the reason. We can easily say it’s because of anxiety or nerves, but the players don’t transmit that,” he said.

“We feel it is about us, it was in our hands and it isn’t now. We’ll try to manage the situation but we’re not playing good.”

Forest captain Morgan Gibbs-White said their inexperience was clearly showing on the home stretch.

“None of us have been in this situation before. We handled it well at first, but as it’s started to come away from us we haven’t handled it so well,” he said.

“It’s down to experience, maybe, in these positions but we’re new to it. We’re still building as a team and a club.”