Awoniyi Blow for Eagles, Out of AFCON 2023

* Undergoes surgery for aggravated groin injury

Duro Ikhazuagbe 

Nigeria and Nottingham Forest forward, Taiwo Awoniyi, has been ruled out of Super Eagles squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) scheduled to kick off in January 2024 in Cote d’Ivoire. 

The gangling power playing forward aggravated a groin injury, which he picked up in October and has now undergone a surgery which will rule him out for months. 

Awoniyi’s coach at Forest, Steve Cooper, confirmed on Thursday that Awoniyi will spend months on the sidelines through injury.

The striker played an hour for Eagles in Nigeria’s 1-1 draw with Lesotho before withdrawing from international duty last week, due to the groin injury. 

Speaking in Thursday morning’s press conference ahead of Forest’s Saturday’s fixture against Brighton and Hove Albion, Cooper said: “It’s bad news on Taiwo, he’s had to have surgery and he is going to be out for months.

“We’ll support him and try to get him back as quick and as fit as he can be, but it’s a really unfortunate situation and a blow for him.

“He’s become an important player for us with the goals he’s scored and the goals he will score for us, but he’s such a good guy and a good professional who is desperate to do well, so to get an injury like this is harsh on him.

“We’ve got to support him through the process of coming back stronger. He’s done that once before here and I’m sure he will give everything again like he did last time.

“You think about how well he did when he returned last season, I’m sure that’s given him a good reference point to come back to.

“We’ll definitely see him again this season, but it’s groin surgery so it will take a little while,” Cooper was quoted by Nottingham forest.co.uk Thursday.