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“Never thought to be better than Osimhen, Boniface” — Awoniyi on AFCON ambitions

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“Never thought to be better than Osimhen, Boniface” — Awoniyi on AFCON ambitions

By Monsurah Olatunji

Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi has said he does not feel the need to outshine fellow Super Eagles forwards Victor Osimhen and Victor Boniface to earn a place in Nigeria’s squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.

Speaking on the Humble Boots show, the 27-year-old emphasized self-development over rivalry, stating that he focuses on being the best version of himself rather than competing with others.

“I’ve never thought that I want to be better than this, I want to be better than that. I believe everyone’s destiny is different,” Awoniyi said.

“Whether it’s playing or not playing, I just want to be better than who I am. Of course, if you are not playing, maybe people cannot see that—but what are you doing when you are not playing? It’s just to develop myself,” he added.

Awoniyi, who last featured for the Super Eagles in a 1–0 win against Libya in Uyo, has earned 10 senior caps and scored two goals for Nigeria.

With the national team preparing for the AFCON tournament after topping Group D with 11 points, he is hoping for a recall from head coach Eric Chelle.

“I’ve never had the intention of ‘I want to be better than Osimhen, I want to be better than Boniface,’” he said.

“Everyone sees the world differently, but I don’t believe I need to be better than this person to make it to the AFCON. I want to be better at what I am doing for myself.”

Awoniyi concluded by stating that he trusts in his own journey and preparation.

“If it’s getting more minutes, if it’s scoring goals, then I will get to the AFCON. So I don’t need to push to be better than Osimhen or Boniface to get there.”

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Samuel Ahmadu
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.
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