Sports

Awoniyi Risks AFCON Miss, Out With Groin Injury For ‘Months’

Nigeria and Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi has been diagnosed as having copped a groin injury that could rule him out of several months according to Steve Cooper.

The Forest manager spoke with the media on Thursday in his press conference ahead of their weekend clash against Brighton and Hoves Albion.

The initial prognosis means that the former Union Berlin striker could miss the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivorie after the injury stopped him from the Eagles’ second qualifiying fixture against Zimbabwe last Sunday.

Awoniyi is among the third highest scoring players in the Premier League since May 2023 with 10 goals only behind Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah on 15 and 12 goals respectively.

Awoniyi has scored four goals in 11 appearances this season as the Forest’s first-choice striker has been managing the problem since October.

The striker’s demenour before the eventual breakdown was indicative of a fitness struggles the player is going through.

“He is going to be out for months,” Cooper said of Awoniyi ahead of Forest’s Premier League commitments.

“We’ll support him and try to get him back as quick and as fit as he can be, but it’s a really unfortunate situation and a blow for him. He’s become an important player for us with the goals he’s scored and the goals he will score for us.”

Affectionately called ‘pastor’ by his international teammates due to his Christian faith, Awoniyi’s return to the national team could be in June 2024 when the next round of qualifiers to the 2026 FIFA World Cup resumes.

Izuchukwu Okosi

Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc. In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio. He worked there for 13 years until October 2017. Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch. He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations. Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ). He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line. Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.