Taiwo Awoniyi Explains Absence from Super Eagles’ 2026 Unity Cup Triumph

Nigeria striker Taiwo Awoniyi has revealed the reason behind his absence from Nigeria’s victorious 2026 Unity Cup campaign in London.

The Nottingham Forest forward was widely expected to be included in coach Eric Chelle’s squad after finishing the Premier League season strongly, becoming a regular starter under manager Vitor Pereira and scoring a memorable brace against Chelsea on his 100th appearance for the club.

Despite his impressive end-of-season form, Awoniyi was not part of the squad that successfully defended the Unity Cup title, with Chelle opting for forwards Terem Moffi and Rafiu Durosinmi, the latter making his Super Eagles debut during the tournament.

Speaking in an interview with SportsBoom, the 28-year-old clarified that he was contacted regarding a call-up but chose to excuse himself from the competition due to personal commitments.

“I was supposed to be in the Super Eagles camp, but I opted out because of personal reasons I have to attend to,” Awoniyi said.

The former Liverpool striker also expressed confidence in the quality available within the national team setup.

“We have lots of talents in the Super Eagles, so for me, everyone that is in the team for the June friendlies is as good as me, just as I’m as good as them,” he added.

In Awoniyi’s absence, Millwall winger Femi Azeez emerged as one of the standout performers of the tournament, scoring twice in the semi-final victory over Zimbabwe and providing an assist for Moffi in the final.

Nigeria sealed the Unity Cup title with a convincing victory over Jamaica, with Alhassan Yusuf scoring a brace and Moffi adding a third goal to complete the triumph.

The success marked another milestone for Chelle, who guided the Super Eagles to back-to-back Unity Cup titles.

Meanwhile, Awoniyi faces an uncertain club future ahead of the 2026/27 season. The striker is entering the final year of his contract at Nottingham Forest, with reports suggesting contract renewal discussions have stalled, potentially opening the door for a summer transfer.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey 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.

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