By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
Nottingham Forest have confirmed the appointment of Ange Postecoglou as the club’s new head coach, ushering in a fresh chapter for Nigerian duo Taiwo Awoniyi and Ola Aina at the City Ground.
The Australian tactician replaces Nuno Espírito Santo, who departed following reported disagreements with club owner Evangelos Marinakis despite overseeing a record-breaking stint during his tenure.
Postecoglou arrives with an impressive résumé, having guided Tottenham Hotspur to a fifth-place Premier League finish in his debut season before clinching the Europa League title in 2024/25, the club’s first major trophy in 17 years, securing Champions League qualification in the process.
For Ola Aina, currently on international duty with the Super Eagles in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, it will be his first opportunity to work under the new gaffer.
Meanwhile, striker Taiwo Awoniyi, who missed Eric Chelle’s squad for the qualifiers, will be hoping Postecoglou’s arrival translates into more consistent playing time after struggling for minutes under Santo.
Forest fans will now be watching closely to see how Postecoglou reshapes the squad ahead of the new campaign, with the Nigerian duo among those expected to play key roles if fit and firing.
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.
