“They’re working normal” – Nottingham Forest boss on Awoniyi and Ola Aina

Ola Aina started Nigeria's home game against Libya while Taiwo Awoniyi came off the bench to replace a misfiring Victor Boniface.

Nottingham Forest head coach, Nuno Espirito Santo, has revealed Super Eagles duo, Taiwo Awoniyi and Ola Aina, have shaken off the effects of their Libya ordeal, Soccernet.ng reports.

Ola Aina was brilliant for Augustine Eguavoen’s side down the right against Libya in Uyo, while Taiwo Awoniyi came off the bench with sixteen minutes left on the clock, replacing Victor Boniface, but the former Mainz 05 striker was unable to impact the game.

Nonetheless, the Super Eagles secured three points, thanks to an 87th minute strike from Fisayo Ayodele-Bashiru.

The three-time AFCON winners then travelled to Libya for the return leg, but their aircraft was redirected to another airport, 150 miles away from their intended destination. Upon arrival at the airport, they were left stranded, without food and internet for over fourteen hours.

Aina, Awoniyi, alongside their Nigerian compatriots have since returned safely to their club sides, and their coach confirmed they’re in good condition.

“They have arrived; they are working normal. As soon as it happened, the club reached them and tried to see what was going on. It was a mess but it was important to get them back as soon as possible. They arrived a couple of days ago; they are working normal,” the former Tottenham Hotspur coach said as revealed by the club’s official website.

Taiwo Awoniyi, Ola Aina, and the remainder of the Forest squad will have time to prepare properly for their next game as they take on Crystal Palace on Monday night.

Adefolahan Guerreiro

Adefolahan is a multilingual journalist and writer at Soccernet Nigeria. With a track record of involvement in College sports, Adefolahan is focused on crafting engaging football content and utilising his language skills and extensive sports knowledge to enhance content accessibility for a global audience. He has interviewed Nigerian stars like Finidi George, Junior Lokosa, and Abraham Onahi Ogbu.

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