By Wale Mustapha
Nigerian striker Taiwo Awoniyi has dismissed reports linking him with a potential departure from English Premier League side Nottingham Forest during the current winter transfer window.
Awoniyi, who has struggled for game time since returning from a lengthy injury layoff, has found himself behind Chris Wood, the club’s top scorer this season, in the pecking order.
Despite this, Awoniyi remains focused on his future at Forest and has made it clear that he has no intention of leaving.
The Super Eagles forward, who recently scored his first goal of the current campaign, reiterated his commitment to the club, saying, “Transfers are part of football, and there will always be speculation. But my focus is entirely on Nottingham Forest.
“This is a team with a lot of potential, and I want to be here to help achieve something special. I’m not thinking about leaving. I’m thinking about how I can contribute more to the success of this club,” Awoniyi told the club’s official website.
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.
