Taiwo Awoniyi in Coma After Surgery for Abdominal Injury

Nigerian and Nottingham Forest striker, Taiwo Awoniyi, is in an induced coma after having surgery for a serious abdominal injury. He got the injury during Forest’s 2-2 draw against Leicester City on Sunday.

The 27-year-old forward was hurt in the 88th minute when he collided with the goalpost while trying to score from a cross by Anthony Elanga at the City Ground.

Awoniyi had just come on as a substitute for Ibrahim Sangare and was treated on the pitch before being taken to the hospital.

He underwent the first phase of surgery on Monday night and is still in the hospital. The second phase of his surgery is planned for Wednesday. Nottingham Forest confirmed on Tuesday that he is “recovering well” after the surgery.

The incident has led to talks about offside rules. Elanga was offside when he received the ball, but the assistant referee didn’t raise the flag until after the collision. This was because of VAR rules, which ask officials to wait before deciding if a goal-scoring chance is likely. Some people feel this delay puts players at risk, as seen in Awoniyi’s injury.

Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis showed concern to manager Nuno Espirito Santo after the match and is getting regular updates on Awoniyi’s condition.

The club’s statement ended by saying, “Taiwo’s injury reminds us of the risks in football and why player health must always come first.”