Nottingham Forest head coach, Nuno Espirito Santo, was thrilled his striker, Taiwo Awoniyi, found the back of the net against Wolverhampton Wanderers yesterday, Soccernet.ng reports.
The former Union Berlin striker has struggled to nail down a starting berth for the Reds since Nuno Espirito Santo took over the coaching reins at the City Ground in December 2023.
Awoniyi’s struggle for game time was largely due to injuries as he kept struggling with persistent groin problems which saw him miss the AFCON 2023 tournament in Ivory Coast.
Nuno Espirito Santo made sure to reduce Taiwo’s playing in a bid to make sure his groin was fully healed when he’s ready to play more frequently for Forest.
Awoniyi found the back of the net last night after coming on to replace Chris Wood at the Molineux, tapping home from a James Ward-Prowse pass and his coach was thrilled.
“The goal will help his confidence lot. We were delighted; especially his teammates were delighted for him – the way he celebrated and even in the dressing room.
We need Taiwo. He is taking a while, but we are very happy for him. He deserves everything. He is such a nice guy,” the former Tottenham Hotspur gaffer said in quotes revealed by Nottingham Post.
Taiwo Awoniyi’s strike against Wolves yesterday was his first goal since February 2024, ending a 324-day goal absence streak. It is also his first in the league this season, from 15 outings, even though most of those have been substitute appearances.
Forest fans, alongside the fans of the Super Eagles of Nigeria will be hoping the 27-year-old remains fully fit in a bid to help the Reds retain top-four status while Nigeria seek to claim a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament.