Forest  Boss, Santo, Salutes Awoniyi Over Win against Wolves

Following his performance in the 3-0 away win at Wolverhampton Wanderers, Nottingham Forest Head Coach, Nuno Espírito Santo, has  praised Nigerian striker, Taiwo Awoniyi, for his performance in the match.

The former Union Berlin forward has struggled to nail down a starting berth for the Reds since Nuno Espirito Santo took over the coaching reins at the City Ground in December 2023.

Awoniyi’s struggle for game time was largely due to injuries. He kept struggling with persistent groin problems, which saw him miss the AFCON 2023 tournament in Cote‘d Ivoire.

Nuno Espirito Santo made sure to reduce Taiwo’s playing time in a bid to make sure his groin was fully healed when he’s ready to play more frequently for Forest.

Awoniyi found the back of the net on Monday after coming on to replace Chris Wood at the Molineux, tapping home from a James Ward-Prowse pass and his coach was thrilled.

“The goal will help his confidence a lot and we were delighted; especially his teammates were delighted for him – the way he celebrated and even in the dressing room.

“We need Taiwo, he is taking a while, but we are very happy for him. He deserves everything. He is such a nice guy,” the former Tottenham Hotspur gaffer said in quotes by Nottingham Post.

Taiwo Awoniyi’s strike against Wolves was his first goal since February 2024, ending a 324-day goal absence streak. It is also his first in the league this season, from 15 outings, even though most of those have been substitute appearances.

Forest fans, alongside the fans of the Super Eagles of Nigeria, will be hoping the 27-year-old remains fully fit in a bid to help the Reds retain top-four status while Nigeria seek to claim a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament.