Nigeria striker Taiwo Awoniyi speaks for the first time after horrific injury

Nottingham Forest players pay tribute to Taiwo Awoniyi during Sunday's victory over West Ham. Photo: Nottingham Forest

Nigeria striker Taiwo Awoniyi has shared his first words since suffering a bad abdominal injury during Nottingham Forest’s Premier League encounter against the relegated Leicester City.

The 27-year-old collided with the goal post, causing abdominal discomfort in the process. Awoniyi was forced to have surgery and was placed in an induced coma after the on-field injury resulted in a life threatening emergency.

In a post on social media, Awoniyi reflected on his recent encounter with the horrific injury:

“This season has been one of the most difficult of my career but through it all, I have felt the love. With the grace of God, I am grateful to still be here, to still be fighting, to still be smiling, and to be in good spirits."

“To my teammates, coaches, staff and the entire Forest family, thank you for your well wishes, seeing you all on your visit to the hospital lifted my spirits more than words can say. I'm with you all the way and I can't wait to be back out there with the boys doing what I love.”

“To my family, friends and football fans, thank you for the support, and to everyone back home in Nigeria who has checked in on me, prayed for me and left kind words, thank you. I see them. I feel them. And I carry them with me every day as I recover.”

Teammate, Morgan Gibbs-White paid tribute to Awoniyi after he scored an 11 minute opener in Nottingham Forest’s 2-1 win at West Ham United on Sunday.

“We’re delighted with the three points but even more delighted that Taiwo is okay. We knew we had to do it for Taiwo today, that performance and win was for him,” Gibbs-White said.

Forest manager Nuno Espírito Santo also paid tribute to Awoniyi in his post-match comments.

Awoniyi’s recovery will rule him out of the rest of the season with the Nigerian striker expected to come back stronger in the 2025/26 season.