Nigeria’s chances in AFCON 2023 now appear precarious following the official confirmation that Taiwo Awoniyi, the Nottingham Forest forward, will be absent. Super Eagles striker Taiwo Awoniyi’s participation in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations has been ruled out, with Nottingham Forest coach Steve Cooper confirming that the Nigerian forward will undergo surgery and face an extended period of absence, spanning “months.”
Cooper provided the unfortunate update on Awoniyi’s condition ahead of Nottingham Forest’s Premier League clash against Brighton, stating, “It’s bad news on Taiwo, he’s had to have surgery and he is going to be out for months.”
Taiwo Awoniyi’s shocking miss against Lesotho has earned comparisons to the famous blunder by Yakubu Aiyegbeni at the 2010 World Cup against South Korea
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The 26-year-old forward suffered an injury while on international duty with the Super Eagles, leaving the Nigerian team after the first of two matches against Lesotho.
🚨 #NFFC manager Steve Cooper has confirmed that Taiwo Awoniyi will spend months on the sidelines through injury.
“It’s bad news on Taiwo, he’s had to have surgery and he is going to be out for months”, Cooper confirms. pic.twitter.com/n92QBl9pIM
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 23, 2023
It is unknown exactly when Awoniyi will return, but with the AFCON tournament kicking off in just over a month, the former Liverpool and Uniion Berlin man is unlikely to make a recovery in time.