By Monsurah Olatunji
Nigerian duo Ola Aina and Taiwo Awoniyi have made history by helping Nottingham Forest reach the FA Cup semifinals for the first time in 34 years, following a dramatic penalty shootout win over Brighton.
The match, which ended goalless after 120 minutes, saw Forest win 4-3 in the shootout, marking their third consecutive FA Cup penalty triumph after previous victories over Exeter City and Ipswich.
Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo made three changes to his lineup, including the return of Aina after international duty with the Super Eagles and a start for Awoniyi, who replaced the injured Chris Wood in attack.
The game saw goalkeeper Matz Sels emerge as the hero for Forest, saving spot-kicks from Jack Hinshelwood and Diego Gomez to keep the visitors in contention.
Brighton thought they had won the match late in extra time when Joao Pedro bundled in Pervis Estupinan’s cross, but the goal was ruled offside, sending the match to penalties.
In the shootout, Brighton missed two penalties, while Forest converted all but one. After Sels’ crucial saves, it was Forest captain Ryan Yates who stepped up to fire the club into the semifinals with a decisive penalty.
This victory ensures Forest’s first FA Cup semifinal appearance since 1991, with Aina and Awoniyi playing pivotal roles in the historic achievement.
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.
