Super Eagles striker, Taiwo Awoniyi, is now out of an induced coma and making a steady recovery after undergoing emergency surgery for a severe abdominal injury that posed a potential threat to his life.
As reported by Mail Sport, the Nigerian international had been placed under intensive care on Wednesday night after undergoing a complex surgical procedure.
The operation, which was carried out as scheduled on Wednesday, has now been successfully completed.
Awoniyi was said to be awake and surrounded by family members as he continued to be monitored in hospital post-surgery.
The 27-year-old sustained the injury during Sunday’s dramatic 2-2 draw against Leicester City after a collision with the goalpost.
Although he received treatment on the pitch for several minutes, he returned to the game before eventually being withdrawn.
Notably, Nottingham Forest had already exhausted their substitution quota—having brought on Jota Silva in place of Elliot Anderson, leaving Awoniyi no option but to attempt to play on despite obvious discomfort.
Visibly struggling to move, the forward made a brave effort to continue as Forest pushed for a decisive goal late in the match, but his condition deteriorated and he was later rushed to hospital after scans on Monday revealed the gravity of the injury.
The incident occurred after Anthony Elanga, who delivered the cross Awoniyi chased, was controversially allowed to continue his run despite being offside, sparking renewed debate over the IFAB rule that instructs assistant referees to delay flagging in potential goal-scoring scenarios.
In a separate but related development, the club has previously issued a statement defending owner Evangelos Marinakis, who faced criticism, particularly from Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville, for stepping onto the pitch and confronting manager Nuno Espirito Santo after the final whistle of the Leicester game, which delivered a blow to Forest’s Champions League aspirations.
With Forest finishing the game with 10 men, it seemed Marinakis expressed frustration with Nuno’s decisions during a tense moment at full-time.
