Super Eagles striker Taiwo Awoniyi provided the assist which saw Nottingham Forest beat Chelsea 1-0 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
Awoniyi was in the starting eleven before going off on 65 minutes while Ola Aina was replaced on 73 minutes.
Forest took the lead in the 48th minute as Awoniyi played a superb ball through to Anthony Elanga who slotted the ball past Robert Sanchez.
Forest move up to ninth on six points while Chelsea are 11th on four points in the league standings.
In another tie Brentford settled for a 2-2 home draw against Bournemouth, with Frank Onyeka in action.
The Super Eagles midfielder was brought on in the 71st minute.
At the Etihad Manchester City hammered Fulham 5-1 and Tottenham Hotspur walloped Burnley 5-2.
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25 Comments
I’m very disappointed in Awoniyi.
As a Yoruba man, respect for elders is one thing that should be second nature to him. But he showed no respect to Big Broda Thiago today.
Imagine putting the ball between the legs of a big egbon like Thiago Silva, and then to add insult to injury, that turns out to be an assist for the winning goal. Kai! Awoniyi, why?
All day he harassed Broda Thiago. Egbon no get time to drink water drop cup.
Awoniyi, take ya time ooo!
Thumbs up Pompeimam. Awoniyi is good. Heaven bless him.
Lol..Na that one them dey call toros! Or Kolo !!! Lololol
Awoniyi and Boniface have this kind of physique that is intimidating. Talking of Awoniyi his speed is incredible for someone with that stature I think he might have employed a personal trainer to build him in the image of an iron man. When you view him from behind from his head to his neck ,it will be difficult to pin him down . Then is speed is lightning then Boniface has a superb ball control with precision
https://youtu.be/4QrwamD-2kY?si=WInWjobo7Yhdi9HU
Opponents are in soup in the forthcoming Nations cup
Opponents will be in soup if Ahmed Musa the non-playing captain chasing the title of the most capped Nigerian international doesn’t take the spot of one of them… dude has become dispensable and still doesn’t wanna quit.
Boniface is not awoniyi level, awoniyi is in the level of ighalo, moffi,onoachu and akor adams, he is an avarage striker, he has been tried many times before in supereagles and have outrightly failed, he played full nations cup and totaly failed along side sadiq, they both became the worse striker to ever represent Nigeria in an Afcon, with zero shot on goal, i cannot be carreid away by nothinham forest performance, the last game against serrieleone he came in for osihmen and was useless as usual, please enough of all this hyping that will tempt supereagles coaches inviting below average players. simone nwankwo awoniyi,lookman,aribo,moffi,unuachu,sadiq are not eagles materials, they are just inconsistent below average players, they will tempt you with their club and turns poor with the eagles, kayode,olayinka,dessers, all fluks, they couldnt even out play ideye, (i am sorry for all the insult poor on ideye) now we are now tolorating mediocre players.
I will put isaac sucess ahead of those guys.
Boniface is only second to osihmen in the entire africa number 9, he will start matches in all african team apart from Nigeria and that is becos of osihmen. With pesero 442 sistem, boniface and osihmen will pedal the front weels for eagles in cotedvoir.
Best 442 line up for eagles according to current form and consistency.
Osigwe
Aina awaziem ajayi saidu
Chuks ndidi iwobi simon
boniface osihmen
Subs.
Awoniyi(osihmen),orban(boniface)tella(simon)iheanach(CHUKS).
Nice line up and great idea of players but it’s the defence and midfield that will kill the team. We need good defenders and midfielders same as wingers, these ones are all bunch of average players. Why not play yusuf alhassan, Nnadi, iwobi, daga, tella, adarabioyi, Aina, and Orban (10).
These ndidi, Simon, even chunks sometimes normally flop in the super eagles, over and over again. They just do not improve.
And the nff should create a environment of great team spirit and not the players forming different sets of clicks in camp. NFF should do their part and leave the coach to do his job.
Please o! What is awoniyi still doing on your bench? I tot he outrightly failed in the past. I was expecting you to put Isaac Success that came out in flying coliours in the past when he was called up. Both Sadiq and Awoniyi didn’t have a single shot on goal at the last nations cup but somehow recorded one goal each. I don’t know what zero shott on goal means to you.
If Moffi, Dessers, Lookman, Awoniyi, Sadiq are bad players , can you please give us new list of players let start campaigning for them. And if you have none, then even you , you are a bad football fan, bad football analyst, bad observer.
Happy Sunday
..and please don’t mention Boniface, Orban ,Akpom and Tella. Their breakout season was last season and were nowhere to be found during nations cup. They are likely to be part of the new list (the right time for them to come in)
You are right @sean let him give us the list of his better players
@Sean… See where sentiments becloud judgements of folks like you. Mentioning Isaac Success… How many goals has he scored as a striker all together in the last 3years? Let us have such stats and why he deserve mention and any chance… he is good and we know him, but he has not done anything special in his career the last three years that is worth taking special note of… a young player with energy like Tella just moved to Leverkusen and already starting games yet a player assessed by the great Xabi Alonso as a solid piece should not be reckon with because he just has his breakout year… Some of you sef! How many goals has Moses Simon scored in the last 5years for club and country as Wideman? We don’t need dudes who only keep using the national team for relevance… Moses Simon who is embarrassing with decisions anyway up from the centre line… Aribo, Simon, Musa, Ekong, Iheanacho, Chukwueze are all dispensible now considering the breakout stars that we have witnessed in the last one year. Tella, Orban, Boniface, Awoniyi, Osimhen, Akpom(If fit), Akor, Lookman, and I will still give Iheanacho space but can afford to play him from the bench these days. The listed players are those showing they are more ready and deserving now than anyone, talking widemen to centre forward positions. In midfield proper I will have Ndidi, Nwobodo, Iwobi, Nnadi, Daga, Ogbelu… people who have forgotten what that guy Ogbelu did in AFCON U-20 when Daga, Nnadi and Eletu were absent will come for me now. Go back and watch games that the dude played in U-20 AFCON, in my opinion I think he was left out of the world cup party u fairly considering Bosso took some players who did not merit being a part of the team at all. If we begin the integrate the likes of Nnadi, Daga and Ogbelu right now in Eagles, we will have the sort of midfield enforces we looking for in two years time. I rate Nnadi ahead of Daga and Ogbelu but Obinna Nwbodo should be pairing Ndidi in a double pivot and we can still talk Etebo once he gets his acts together at whatever club he is playing as these days.
…I forget Akinsanmiro, no question in his case. He should be in our midfield already. I hope he gets better first team opportunities at Inter Milan this season. Dude is ready.
What sort of ill-informed comment is this? Awoniyi and Sadiq had no shots on target at AFCON but had a goal each. How did they score if they Had no shot on target? This shows that you clearly don’t know what you are saying. I see your comment filled with tribalism than just football analytic deficiency.
Get some facts right an come back to comment. All what you have said up there is nothing but thrash, hate-filled comments.
Useless write up Awoniyi is not in Boniface’s level. Tribalistic judgment of a player playing against best teams in Europe and churning out superb performance. Apart from Bayern Munich and Borussia which other teams in Germany are that strong compared to to Premiership teams . How can a sensible person open his mouth to say Awoniyi is not reliable what a shameful input from you @collins I never expected this from you and it clearly shows you know so little about football.
First how many goals did Osiemein scored in his First Nation cup — None. Awoniyi scored in his first nation’s cup. Do you think it is that easy for a player to just come and into eagles’ fold and start performing magic .Awoniyi is a tested player he proved himself in German league that Osimein failed to perform . I love Boniface and I think he might be a better player but for you to say he played none sense is very unpopular of you.
On current form.
Adeleye.
Aina Ajayi Akpo Sanusi.
Tella Yusuf Onyedika Lookman.
Osi Awo
Bench
Boni, Chuck, Ogbu, Frederick, Ogwuche, Orban, Daga, Osigwe, Ebuehi, Simon, Ekong.
Awoniyi is an elite striker and one of best in the world right now take it or leave it……I always doubted him in the past but I put my doubts to rest when he moved to the EPL and dominated defenders effortlessly….. How can you judge awoniyi with a super eagles team that played so badly in the Afcon?……is he the only player in the team?….. how can you say awoniyi didn’t record a shot on target when he even scored in the tournament?….. please don’t let me say what I will regret oh…… today is Sunday abeg.
You could have blame Rohr for not pairing Oshimen and Awoniyi against Ghana for WC qualifying. Useless talk blaming rohr for everything don’t know how many player he is going to invite at a time. All those players were invited in one way or the other during his time and what was there inputs? Same olayinka was in Nations cup and you were bundled out in second round by a depleted Tunisia team. Mr man go and sit down and face your problem lubbish.
Lol.. from tribal talks to complaints about your favorites that couldn’t make the team under Rohr .Rohr must be a very bad man because assuming he kept managing Joel Obi, Junior Ajayi, Obinna nwobodo and Peter olayinka very well, we would have won 2018 World Cup and sealed it up with 2019 cup of nations. At least, that was the only two Tournaments that Rohr lead us to and as bad as Moses Simon is , he had assist this weakened in French league, Aribo still featured for Southampton even though in lower league, Chukwueze is now in AC Milan and iheanacho is regular in Leicester city this season. It’s not new that Rohr’s song has always been players for the future or My young teams. Majority of those players are still regular in their club and they play where we can access them. For me to now leave Central Europe to be watching Czechoslovakian league? I’ll rathe follow Ronaldo to Saudi. These means Rohr had visions that you people lack.
@tayo… and @Sean,am I to really debate football with your likes. That will be like discussing with a wall. I make comments to dudes who are in my weightclass when it comes to football commentary. Most of who can’t even differentiate an efficient football player from an average street footballer. Talking about Czech Republic league, do you even realize that Igho Ogbu who now plays for Slavia Prague, a team Olayinka has done it all with and use to even captain is being said to have been invited to the Super Eagles in the upcoming game? Do you know Redstar Belgrade is not small team in European football? Most of you who started watching football from the 2000s wont let those who know football breathe here… You keep mentioning Iheanacho, he is a player I respect but he is now playing in the championship, no ambitious player will take such low fall and remain there. When Junior Ajayi player for Al-Ahly and was a starter for over 5years,he was better than a load of those who kept getting called up to the National team. It was a individual like Emmanuel Amuneke who sounded him out as deserving a chance. Playing in Egypt then for the best club on the continent, his team mates were starting for Egypt but he wasn’t even deemed good enough to earn a callup. One will think loud mouths like you folks will call for dudes like Ahmed Musa and Moses Simon to make way for more effective players but all your likes do is come after any sound football mind who dared project truth here especially any talk of the underperforming bunch that Super Eagles were under Rohr! Go to MLS, Obinna Nwobodo ranks in the top 5 midfielders in that league but he never gets called up. This is the sort of injustice to players we speak about… Again replying to your lots is like talking to a wall… a complete waste of time.
Eguavoen listened to the same set of people, picking Ighalo and another striker ahead of Awoniyi and deprived us the WC. On a good day, Awoniyi eill harass those Ghanian defenders to open space for Osi to do the damage.
Of course, Osimhen has proven to be the leading striker and player in the Nigerian team. Winning the leading scorer in a tactically defensive serie A is no small feat.
Boniface is a player that i admire but i disagree with the notion that he is up to Awoniyi’s level. Awoniyi took the same Bundesliga by storm last season by taking a relatively low rated club to the European competition, breaking and setting records at his club.
Boniface is playing for a top 5 club in the German League and an honest and sensuble comments should suggest a better performance. Let him score more than 20 goals before you even start to compare the two.
Like Osi with Lille, Awoniyi has since moved to his second top 5 league and performing above expectarion in the most competitive league in the world. Boniface has nor even gotten to this level.
Unlike some hypocrites and delusionally minded folks who come on this forum to spread hatred and mislead their fellow Dumbo, I’ll support my statement with facts..
Name any Nigerian players to ever score at all National team level ?
Answer : Awo & Osi (U-15, U-17, U-20, U-23, and Super Eagle)
Name: any current Nigerian strikers to ever score at least 10 goals in the top 5 leagues in the world ?
Answer; Osi and Awo.
Name any Nigerian strikers to ever create club records playing in the top 5 leagues in the World ?
Answer; Awo and Osi
Awoniyi was scoring in the Bundesliga and Roaring Rohr kept ignoring him for national team invitation picking a jupiter league level striker who had since been exposed by EPL. Awoniyi no day give shish and that’s the only reason why he’s not been able to play so much games as he should have for the super eagles.
Talking of the super eagles, it’s on record that it took Awoniyi less number of matches to score his first goal and make his first assist than Osi and Ighalo.
Records don’t lie. Stop the hatred
**Name any of the current Nigerian strikers to score at least 10 goals in two top 5 leagues in the world ?
Answer: Osi and Awo.
@Larry… Thank you. You are among those who bring me here and a lot of other dudes here. Imagine someone writing that we have seen Awoniyi before, he was average at Nations Cup and can’t do anything different from what he did before. As of now, after mentioning Osimhen, you have to mention Awoniyi, then Boniface, we have been crying for a goal scoring attacking midfielder, Akpom can function there so he does not need to be a centre forward for us. Akpom can play the sort of role as have always believed Iheanacho has capacity to play (Attacking Midfield). We can have Tella, Orban as new widemen to rival Lookman, Simon(who I don’t want) and Chukwueze who is still yet to play to the potential we know he could in Super Eagles.
If we want to win trophy and brag where the likes of Cameroon, Senegal, Egypt and our other African weight class are bragging about exploits on the continent these days, we must stop lying to ourselves, and call players who can contribute goals in good measure even playing from the wings, that’s where names like Orban, Tella holds weight. Osimhen, Awoniyi and Boniface are the strikers we must focus on now because I feel those three edge Moffi, Akor and Dessers for now.
@Eguaveon was the sole architect of us missing that last world cup because he refuse to listen to the assistants brought in to help him. One wonders why he invited Ighalo and hardly played him. We also still know those on this forum who clamored for Ighalo’s return stating if the younger strikers can’t still best him, they see no reason why he shouldn’t be called back, despite his lethargic play against Cape Verde tin Lagos that exposed him.
Moses Simon had a clear chance from a through ball by Iheanacho in Kumasi as usual be fluffed it, these are the kinds of players we are calling out that they have no effect in Super Eagles other than occasional flashes of fancy footwork with zero end-result. We must now focus on dudes like Ndidi, Iwobi, Akpom, Nwobodo, Nnadi, Alhassan, Akinsanmiro and Daga in our midfield. Daga and Nnadi can begin their integration roughing and toughing it up with the regulars and learning confidence and improvement from involving in training… more like grooming. Some will knock me for Obinna who plays in the MLS but dude has proven himself in Turkey before he left for the USA and he top 5 in MLS midfield hierarchy.
@Larry lol you put Boni on the bench and Tella is in. Meanwhile Boniface is the current star of the Bayer Leverkusen team..
I have even seen sayings from fans stating since the last Great stars of the club which were Decades ago. They have unearthed a new star. “Finally after Ulf and Stefan kiessling a storm”.
I would find a way to start Boniface on current form.
@ugo, no doubt boni can be inserted into that team but it will have to depend on the formation. The French team once had Benzema, Mbape and Giroud in a starting line-up. However, having watched both players clips, Tella is more effective from the wings. Awo, Osi, and Boni play similar ways. Osi seems to be mote prolific, Awo is more direct and Boni is ahead in power play. My rating still remains Osi, Awo, Boni, Nacho, Adams.
Osi and Awo have proven their work in all National teams and 2 top 5 leagues.
Orban and Tella are both hybrid of wing play, midfield and striking.
Yusuf and Onyedika should be groomed for the midfield (Ndidi is still relevant) just like Ogwuche and Frederick in defence.
Your contradictions to my submission is quite shamefull aswell, so you actualy think i am not aware of those cheap goals scored by those avarage vegetable strikers in the name of awoniyi and sadiq,
Its a shame that our football has gotten to that level for you to accept such low below madagascar level, shows how defeated your minds has become, a ball that awoniyi him self was not even aware he scored, the ball hit his body and he was confused, the assist you are claiming was a missed control that luckily turns out to be an assist, he almost ran for it before allowing moses simon, sadiq completed an already completed iheanacho work by taping in a ball that already bit the keeper, my guys i am not blind to rule out those skubbydubby goals scored by those duds, @jimmy i dont know the tribal marijuana you have been smoking these days because you always see tribalism everywhere. I am Edoman i am not igbo, if you must know, but i love yorubas,igbos and every other Nigeria tribes. My resident in naija is in itori, a yoruba village of ogun state, please drop the tribal talk. The fact is that my expectations have not been that reduced to the level most of you guys have been relegated to accept, obafemi martins alias obagoal, didnt score as much goals as awoniyi has scored for both germany and england, but his name can never been forgoten in the street of european football, do you know why? He is not awoniyis level, you guys can be running after goals like novice, we recognise cheap goals, and fluke players even if they are having a lucky season, boniface is not awoniyi level, in terms of footwork, shotpower ball sence, ball control, skills and body movements, i dont rate by number of goals, i constantly critisized unuach here anď many igbos attacked me i dont care, as you can see i know more better than goals in football, obafemi didnt need that much number of goals to be considered as world class in the game, lists of afcon eagles lead strikers. obafemi debut in 2006 afcon got 4 to 5 goals, aghahuwa debut 3 goals, yakubu 2008 despite we lost out in second round, got 3 goals, osaze 2004 got 4 goals, 2010 obasi stunner against egypt debut, he wasnt the lead striker, emenike 2013 4 goals, ighalo debut 2019 5 goals, the likes of chuks, moses simon, obinna nsofor, ike uche, kalu uche, ahmed musa, iheanacho still had great goals in their eagles debuts. Bright dike is far better than awoniyi and all fluke names of jimmyballs favourites, he was still not considered for eagles when eagles had strong competition in attack, those of you making excuses for awoniyi are the real tribalists here, people know i am Edo man, and i never celebrated a below avarage ighalo, despite all the tap in goals, but he was still prefered ahead of awoniyi even after retirement, awoniyi as a person he is my favourite,just like musa a very calm and humble youth, but we talk football here not nollywood, the guy is not eagles material, that team somebody claimed was bad was the same team osihmen qualified to that afcon as highest goal scorer, his absent led to awoniyi leading afcon attack, ending up with one mistake goal. (osihmen is yet to lead a proper afcon, mark it if he does we will win and he will hit ten goals, highest in the turnament history. he was fourth striker in his debut and had only one chance against tunisia, that little performance still outclassed awo and sadiq full afcon display.
Osihmen a younger brother of awo, was called to rescue the olympics eagles from the hands of egypt, he came and scored 4 goals to put us in the Group stages, awoniyi was called to replace osihmen in the proper turnament, the guy failed woefully i dont care who wan cry, i am a die hard fan and i dont forgive easily, no jokes here, awoniyi failed, lost alot of chances and the team failed to qualify, before he was promoted to supereagles uptill now still a ghost i dont see in the pitch while playing for eagles, you want me to decorate it, all games he managed one fake goal against sudan, u are here claiming u know records,
@ larry, terem moffi, simone nwankwo,iheanacho, lookman, chukueze, anthony ujah all scored above your ten goals top five league jubily, for you to even list akpoguma in ur starting lines means you really need a eyedrop. You are the chief trabalist here
@jimmy, if you dont know, furumites knows i am a big critic of simon, but i dont hate him, not to accept his improvement and consistency, i cannot be complaining the sun when its raining, the guy if cecked proparly have accumulated more assists for eagles than finidy george, he prooved to me that he is better and consistent than lookman, onyekuru and ejuke, for tella i cant say for now, kalu proved better than him and was benching him, but kalu is no where to be found, its fair for moses simon to be called.
@sean, i didnt fault awoniyi invitation at afcon 2022, i even hoped on him and if you ceck i added him to my list, i only said the obviouse which is how he has failed and cannot be trusted, just like makinwa. dont take my criticism personal, na so i dey for here, i still hope he proves me wrong, i have followed him morethan you guys, his magic ends at flying eagles, my opinion can only be changed by only him not you guys.
I was a big promoter of nwakali, sadiq, ejuke, onyekuru, and kayode, but as far as they have failed, my music changes as usual, unlike you guys, i am not ashame to change riddim when necesary , i am only loyal to supereagles not to anyplayers.