Nigeria international Ola Aina made the headlines on Sunday after scoring the first goal in Nottingham Forest’s 2-0 win over Aston Villa but of more concern to Super Eagles head coach will be the return of Taiwo Awoniyi following a spell on the sidelines.
Nigeria face Lesotho and Zimbabwe in the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifying matches later this month and the Portuguese tactician will be delighted to have Awoniyi for the game with uncertainty surrounding the availability of Napoli striker Victor Osimhen.
Awoniyi had last month withdrawn from the Nigeria squad for their international friendlies with Saudi Arabia and Mozambique after suffering a groin injury.ALSO READ:Drinkwater Retires From Football
The striker made his comeback from a groin problem at Anfield last weekend. Though he was not fit enough to start he did come off the bench in the Reds’ 3-0 defeat to Liverpool.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Forest boss Steve Cooper suggested that the Eagles striker was in a complex situation with a niggling groin strain and his availability for the Aston Villa game was uncertain.
“Taiwo is a player we have to manage. He’s in a bit of a complex situation with his injury. It’s an ongoing one, and it will be for a little while,” Cooper said.
“It’s frustrating, for him more than anyone else. He was doing so well and this has really held him back.
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