Taiwo Awoniyi will play no part as Nigeria aim to win the AFCON title for the fourth time following groin surgery. His absence has left many wondering if it is a setback for the Super Eagles, EBENEZER BAJELA writes
Nottingham Forest striker, Taiwo Awoniyi, saw his hopes of making his second Africa Cup of Nations appearance dashed after the club announced on Thursday that he would be out of action for some months after undergoing surgery to correct a groin injury he picked up during the international break.
After undergoing the operation, Awoniyi is all but set to miss the 34th edition of the biennial African Association football tournament organised by the Confederation of African Football.
The former Union Berlin forward recently returned from an injury that had kept him out of action for more than a month having initially spent another three months on the sideline between February to March.
After missing Nigeria’s friendly games in Portugal due to another injury, Awoniyi battled back to fitness and was a surprise inclusion when Forest faced his former club Liverpool in one of their Premier League games.
Less than a month after he returned when he played against Liverpool, Aston Villa and West Ham, the 26-year-old is set for another time on the sideline after aggravating the problem playing for Nigeria during the international break and has had an operation on the issue.
Awoniyi has scored four goals in 10 Premier League appearances for Forest this season.
“We’ll definitely see him again this season, but it’s groin surgery so it will take a little while,” said Cooper.
The former Liverpool forward is a key player for the City Ground side, scoring 10 league goals to help Forest achieve top-flight survival last season.
“It’s bad news on Taiwo, he’s had to have surgery and he is going to be out for months,” added Cooper.
“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. He’s such a good guy and a good professional who is desperate to do well, so to get an injury like this is harsh on him.
“We’ve got to support him through the process of coming back stronger.”
His fitness has always been an issue and last week’s groin injury is the third the striker had suffered in the last 12 months.
“That was the biggest thing, to be honest,” Cooper tells Sky Sports. Building any rhythm proved challenging and there were other options.
“He was in and out of the team. A couple of injuries. Score a goal, not play well. All that sort of stuff happened.” But he was not alone in that. It was the story of Forest’s season. “I am happy to say that this time last year I thought it took him a while,” reflects Cooper.
“I know he was at Liverpool and had the experience of training in England but he had never really played in England. Like so many of the players, even including the staff and myself, we were finding our way. And then, he just started to become himself.”
After a slow start to life following his return to the Premier League, the Ilorin-born striker has established himself as one of the most dreaded strikers in the English topflight with only Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah the two strikers to have outscored him in the Premier League since May.
His equaliser at West Ham before the international break, his first goal since returning from his last injury, means that he has now scored 10 times in 14 games in the competition.
That run was broken up by injury against Brentford at the start of last month – and Forest suffered in his absence. Replacement Chris Wood did score two against Luton but they were pegged back. Forest are without a win in 14 games when Awoniyi does not start.
With him, it is six wins from 14. They only lost to West Ham after he went off. Awoniyi has blossomed. There were two goals at Chelsea, one against Arsenal, and another at Manchester United.
There is no doubt that Awoniyi will be hugely missed by Forest because of his role for the Premier League side but the big question is if the same can be said of the national team with Nigeria set to begin their quest for their fourth AFCON title in Ivory Coast next year.
Jose Peseiro has abundant strikers in his arsenal and he will be hoping to count on them barring any injury to them before the AFCON tournament in Ivory Coast.
Given the context of these years of upheaval, perhaps the injury suffered at Southampton in January, a game in which he scored what turned out to be the winning goal, was a key moment. When he returned to the team in April, something had changed in him.
His physical prowess had never been a problem and his efforts to always want to get involved are some of his key strengths.
Awoniyi can appear unstoppable at times running through defenders, something that will be missed in January in Ivory Coast.
“We have all seen it in the games,” says Cooper.
“It is not just his goals. We have seen him play really well and be a real handful, dominating centre-backs. We are also seeing that every day on the training ground. His performances on the pitch are a product of what he is doing in training and I believe in that.”
A host of Nigerians also took to social media to air their views on the striker’s absence ahead of the AFCON in Ivory Coast.
Rilwan Akintola wrote on X, “A huge loss. Get well soon champs.”
Osamaria Kenny was of the opinion that Awoniyi’s absence would not be felt with Osimhen in the Eagles ranks.
“Get well soon champ… we ain’t missing him though … Osimhen needs to get back,” he wrote.
Okwudili (sir Vic) said, “He will missed by his club and country. I pity him.”
Bosun also agreed that the former Liverpool striker will be missed in Ivory Coast.
“A big blow for Nottingham forest. Quick recovery. Naija need you for AFCON,” he tweeted.
With Victor Osimhen, Victor Boniface, Terem Moffi, Sadiq Umar, and Kelechi Iheanacho, who can also play as a striker, the three-time African champions are well-equipped in the striking department.
And while it is difficult to see another striker coming to dislodge any of the aforementioned players based on their qualities it remains to be seen how Peseiro will handle the absence of Awoniyi.