By Wale Mustapha
Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo has expressed his delight at seeing Nigerian striker Taiwo Awoniyi score his first goal of the season in the club’s 3-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday.
Awoniyi, who had been sidelined for much of the season due to injury, came off the bench to score Forest’s third goal following a well-timed assist from James Ward-Prowse.
The goal marked Awoniyi’s first since last season, ending a 324-day scoring drought.
Santo was visibly pleased with the striker’s performance, noting how much the goal meant to both Awoniyi and his teammates.
“A lot. We were delighted; especially his teammates were delighted for him – the way he celebrated and even in the dressing room,” Santo said after the game.
“We need Taiwo. He is taking a while, but we are very happy for him. He deserves everything. He is such a nice guy.”
Forest will now turn their focus to their FA Cup third-round match against Luton Town this Saturday, where they will hope to build on their strong league form.
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.
