Taiwo Awoniyi Excited Over Return To Super Eagles After Ten-Month Absence

Nottingham Forest forward, Taiwo Awoniyi has expressed his excitement about returning to the Super Eagles after a 10-month absence due to injuries.

Taiwo Awoniyi is ready to face the challenge of earning a spot in the Super Eagles’ starting XI against Benin Republic and Rwanda. Note that he has made only eight appearances for the Eagles, scoring two goals.

Recall that he got injured during Nigeria’s 1-1 draw with Lesotho in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier in November 2023. Since then, he has remained sidelined.

After missing out on the AFCON in Ivory Coast due to his injury and subsequent setbacks, Awoniyi is back at full fitness and is eager to contribute to the team’s success in the AFCON qualifiers against Benin Republic and Rwanda.

In an interview with Flashscore, Awoniyi emphasized the privilege of playing for the Super Eagles and the importance of putting the country first.

He downplayed the challenge of earning a spot in the starting XI, highlighting the collective goal of bringing joy to Nigerians through a victory.

“Playing for the Super Eagles is a great privilege for every player, and everyone wants to be part of it,” Awoniyi said.

“Everyone called up is excited about it, and I believe each and everyone is going to give his best for the country.

“We all are doing very well for ourselves, and playing for the Super Eagles is like giving back what the country has given us. And we are doing that as a team.

“I think whoever is playing or whoever is starting doesn’t matter really. What matters is putting the country first and ensuring we win, which I believe would bring a lot of joy to so many Nigerians.”

Looking ahead to the upcoming matches, Awoniyi is confident in the abilities of his teammates and believes that they have what it takes to secure victories against both the Benin Republic and Rwanda.

“We know what is at stake. For the fact that we lost against them and the second factor is that we are playing at home now, this should be to our advantage”, he said.

“As I have always said, football is about doing well for yourself, working hard as a team, and playing for each other.

“If we do that, I believe we will have the three points because we have the talents.”

The Super Eagles will face the Benin Republic at home at 5 p.m. on Saturday, September 7, before heading to Kigali to take on Rwanda three days later.