By Monsurah Olatunji
Nigerian international Taiwo Awoniyi has regained consciousness after undergoing emergency surgery for a ruptured intestine sustained during Sunday’s Premier League match against Leicester City.
Awoniyi, 26, suffered the severe abdominal injury following a collision with the goalpost during the 2-2 draw.
Despite visible pain, the Nottingham Forest striker briefly continued playing before being substituted. The injury was later deemed life-threatening.
Medical experts say such internal trauma is rare among athletes and carries an estimated 9 percent mortality rate. It typically requires immediate surgical intervention.
The first phase of Awoniyi’s surgery was conducted on Monday, after which doctors placed him in an induced coma to stabilize his condition. According to BBC Sport, the second stage of the procedure, which involved closing the internal wound, was successfully completed on Wednesday.
Doctors brought Awoniyi out of the coma early Wednesday evening, in what is being described as a significant step forward in his recovery.
Nottingham Forest has announced it will launch an internal review into the circumstances surrounding the incident, particularly why the player was allowed to continue playing after the collision.
Awoniyi’s recovery will continue under close medical supervision, and further updates are expected in the coming days.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
