Awoniyi: Sojourn of Ilorin-born Soccer Star

By Alphonsus Effi

Born on August 12 1997, Taiwo Michael Awoniyi is one of the young Nigerian Soccer stars. The Nottingham Forest’s forward plays with the Jersey Number 9. The 24-year-old Nigeria playmaker first began his soccer frontiers in 2010 with the Imperial Soccer Academy.
Awoniyi was named ‘The Most Valuable Player’ at the Coca-Cola Football Competition in London this feat buttresses the confidence of Seyi Olofinjana who was his host. He began his Senior Career with Liverpool FC though with no appearances. In 2016, however, he joined FSV Frankfurt where he made 13 appearances and a debut goal on the club side.

Between 2016 and 2017, Awoniyi joined NEC on Loan, there; he made 18 appearances and scored two goals. In the 2017/2018 season, Awoniyi joined Mouscron on loan and made 27 appearances where he scored 7 goals. In the 2018-2019 football seasons, Awoniyi went to Gent on Loan and made 16 appearances with no goal record until 2019 when he joined Mouscron on loan and made 9 appearances with 7 maverick goals.
In the 2019-2020 Season, Awoniyi joined Mainz O5 on loan and made 12 appearances with a single goal. In 2020/2021 he went to Union Berlin’ on loan, and scored 15 goals in 31 appearances approximately a goal in two appearances.

In his National Soccer Career, Awoniyi played with the Nigeria U-17 in 2013, made 8 appearances and scored 4 goals. In 2015, he played in the U-20 side and made 9 appearances with 7 successful goals. The same year, Awoniyi played under 23, made 3 appearances and scored 2 goals virtually in all matches. In 2021, Awoniyi played on the Nigerian side made 4 appearances and scored a goal.
He had an offer on August 31st, 2015 to move to Liverpool, the offer worth #400,000 Pounds but he was immediately loaned to the German team: FSV Frankfurt and made his debut against Hertha Berlin.
In 2016, a Dutch team NEC reported that Awoniyi had joined them, he made a debut in a 4-0 defeat of NEC to PSV Eindhoven he was replaced in the 72nd minute by Michael Heinloth and was relegated in 2017. In 2017, he joined Belgian Club Royal Excel Mouscron on a season-long loan and made his debut on 12 August when he started the match against KSC Lokeren scoring within 22 minutes. On 17th of July, 2018, he signed a new long-term deal with Liverpool, he also sealed a season-long loan to another Belgian club Gent.

On the 6th of August, 2019, Liverpool reported that the Nigerian star joined Bundesliga side Mainz O5 on a season-long loan. Awoniyi was hospitalized after sustaining a severe concussion during a loss to FC Augsburg in the League. On September 19 2020, The Ilorin-born soccer talent left for his seventh ‘loan spell’ for the Bundesliga side Union Berlin for a year. In July 2021, he joined the Union Berlin after the German Club paid a whomping sum of 6.5 million Pounds. In that deal, Liverpool negotiated a 10 per cent sell-on clause. On the 25th of June 2022, Awoniyi finally moved to the Premier League side, Nottingham Forest on a five year deal in a transfer deal worth 17 million pounds.
In the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup, Awoniyi represented Nigeria, scored four goals and won the tournament. In the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand, Awoniyi represented Nigeria after winning the 2015 African U-20 Championship in Senegal. In his 2015 debut, he scored a brace for the Nigerian U-23 team in a match against Zambia after which the team qualified for the 2015 African Games. Awoniyi made the list of the 35-man Provisional squad for the 2016 Summer Olympics. In 2021, Gemot Rohr selected Awoniyi to represent Nigeria at the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers where he made his debut in their 1-0 loss to the Central African Republic (CAR).
Awoniyi has been likened to Late soccer legend, Rashidi Yekini, Nigeria’s all-time highest goal scorer in terms of their styles of play. Awoniyi got married to Mrs Taiwo Jesudun in an engagement/traditional wedding which took place in Kabba on the 15th of June, 2018 followed by a White wedding on the 16th of June, 2018 in Ilorin.
•Authored by Alphonsus Effi (MA History UNILAG) Diploma Journalism (TJI) 08024557162