By Wale Mustapha
Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo has praised Nigerian striker Taiwo Awoniyi for his outstanding performance in Forest’s FA Cup victory over Exeter on Tuesday.
Awoniyi, who has had a limited role this season, scored Forest’s second goal in the 2-2 draw that went to extra time.
The Nigerian striker’s goal marked his second of the season across all competitions for the Reds.
The match ultimately went to penalties, where Forest triumphed 4-2, securing their place in the next round.
However, Awoniyi’s evening took a painful turn when he suffered a broken nose after a clash with Exeter goalkeeper Joe Whitworth.
The Super Eagles forward was replaced by Chris Wood late in the second half.
Despite the injury, a proud Nuno Espirito Santo commended Awoniyi for his dedication, while also offering an update on the striker’s condition.
“I think he broke his nose, but he’s walking around smiling,” Santo said. “He did an amazing job, he did really well today.”
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.
