Nigeria FA praise Nottingham Forest owners for the reaction to Taiwo Awoniyi injury

The Nigeria Football Federation has praised Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis for his reaction to the Super Eagles Taiwo Awoniyi's abdominal injury, which required emergency operation.

The 27-year-old striker needed an emergency operation after working on May 11 in a Premier League match with the 2-2 draw against Leicester City with the goal framework.

After the incident, Awoniyi, who started as a replacement in the second half, was allowed to continue on the city premises after receiving the treatment on the field. The medical staff believed that his injury was not as serious as it finally turned out.

But afterwards he was unable to continue and forest could not replace him because they had already used their final replacement window. The club owner Evangelos Marinakis reacted strongly to the situation and stormed into the field to protest with the coach after Awoniyi had continued.

The Secretary General of NFF, Mohammed Sanusi, commented for the immediate reaction of the club as soon as she recognized the severity and wrote to Forest: “We have to praise the quick action by Nottingham Forest's leadership in the administration of this injury, in particular the deep concern of the Club's CEO, which was present on the field and then involved.”

Sanusi added: “When he recovered from the operation, we pray that all processes run smoothly in order to bring him back to excellent physical and mental health to do what he knows best.

“We would have talked to him directly and wanted to feel him, but we are aware that he is currently in no state. We trust that they will somehow send our friends, teammates and relatives our message of deep empathy.”

The Nigeria International, a FIFA U-17 World Cup winner from 2013, was put in an induced coma to support his recovery from his operation by helping to restrict his movement and regulate his heart rate.

The second part of his operation was completed last Wednesday and the striker published an explanation at the weekend: “This season was one of the most difficult of my career, but through everything I felt love. With the grace of God, I am grateful to be still here, still fight, still smile and be in good spirits.

“To my teammates, my coaches, my employees and the whole forest family, thank you for your good wishes, if you all raise my mood as words during your visit to your hospital. I am the whole way and I can hardly wait to be out there when the boys do what I love.”

In his absence, Forest won 2-1 in West Ham and team-mate Morgan Gibbs-White celebrated with a shirt with the name of the Nigerian striker after the decisive victory.

The team was also in T-shirts with a message with the inscription “We are all with you Taiwo” and Awoniyi's name and number on the back.

Awoniyi is no stranger to medical emergencies. Five years ago, when he played against Augsburg for Mainz, the striker collapsed 17 minutes after an air -duel with Felix Uduokhai and was passed for minutes before he was brought to the university clinic in Mainz to be treated for concussion.