Taiwo Awoniyi made a triumphant return to Premier League action. He scored in stoppage time to help Nottingham Forest crush Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-0 on Monday evening.

The Super Eagles striker completed his dramatic comeback from injury, finding the net for the first time in the 2024/25 season, precisely 324 days after a devastating setback had forced him to watch from the sidelines.

Forest manager Steve Cooper introduced Awoniyi in the 88th minute, and the Nigerian international seized his opportunity with both hands.

Morgan Gibbs-White orchestrated the decisive moment, threading a precise pass through Wolves’ defensive line.

Awoniyi, demonstrating his predatory instincts, latched onto the ball and dispatched it into the net with clinical precision, sending the City Ground into rapturous celebration.

The emotional weight of the moment overwhelmed Taiwo Awoniyi as he sank to his knees after scoring.

He reached for his shin pads, which carried a deeply personal message – the Bible verse James 1:17.

The passage reads, “Every good and perfect gift is from above,” and pressed them against his face in a poignant display of gratitude and relief.

This victory carried significant implications for Nottingham Forest’s remarkable 2024/25 campaign. The team has now strung together an impressive sequence of six consecutive Premier League victories.

This cemented their position in third place on the table. Forest’s 40-point tally matches Arsenal’s in second position. Meanwhile, Liverpool maintains a six-point advantage at the summit with a game still in hand.

Awoniyi’s goal served as the perfect exclamation point on Forest’s commanding performance, underlining their transformation into genuine title contenders.

The striker’s emotional celebration resonated throughout the stadium. Furthermore, it marks not just a personal milestone in his recovery journey but also symbolises Forest’s remarkable ascent into English football’s top flight.

Don’t miss the inspiring photos of his celebration! Watch the goal video below.

 

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“I don’t like to compare players. Drogba is Drogba and Adingra is Adingra. They are not the same kind of player and he’s different from Drogba,” Fae said.

“He’s a young player with a lot of talent. I just hope he continues to work hard because, at his age, consistent effort is crucial for improving day by day and year after year.

“At the moment, he is not a regular starter at Brighton, so he must work hard to earn that position and continue his efforts, particularly as he still has limited international caps.

“He’s a young international player, so he needs to stay focused and keep working hard to improve, aiming to build a career similar to Drogba’s.”

Didier Drogba achieved remarkable success with Chelsea during his illustrious eight-year tenure at Stamford Bridge. The tenure included a brief return in the 2014-15 season.

He led the team to three Premier League titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups, and the pinnacle of club football – the UEFA Champions League.

Drogba’s impact extended beyond trophies. He set numerous scoring records for Chelsea. This includes the most goals by a non-English player with an impressive tally of 164.

He also excelled in the Champions League. Scoring 36 goals, he also demonstrated a knack for decisive moments, netting nine goals in cup finals.

His brilliance was further recognized with two Premier League Golden Boot awards, earned in the 2006-07 and 2009-10 seasons.

Fae also strongly emphasizes the critical importance of Adingra’s continued involvement with the Ivorian national team.

The coach explained: “It’s a pleasure for me to have him in my team because he brings a lot of positive qualities. I hope he continues to work hard to reach the top.

“He will be in great form for the upcoming (international) matches. Being nominated for the African Player of the Year at such a young age is a significant achievement too.”

Our #AFCON king. 👑🇨🇮 pic.twitter.com/1kw2CRb0QV

— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) December 30, 2024

Adingra made his debut for the Ivory Coast national team, known as the Elephants, in 2023. He quickly rose to prominence on the international stage. He played a crucial role in their triumphant 2023 Africa Cup of Nations campaign, hosted on home soil.

Adingra contributed significantly to the team’s success. He scored against Mali in the quarter-finals and provided two crucial assists in the final against Nigeria.

His outstanding performances earned him the prestigious award for the tournament’s Best Young Player.

Fae expresses his gratitude for the unwavering support he has received from Cote d’Ivoire’s football legends. Particularly from Didier Drogba, he has received support since he was appointed the head coach of the Ivorian national team.

The former Nantes midfielder added, “He’s a person who, just by being here, boosts the players’ confidence. He’s here for the players. 

“He makes an effort to communicate with the players and does his best to inspire strength in the team to keep moving forward.”

The reigning African champions now set their sights on qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This follows their absence from the previous two editions of the tournament.

The coach has unequivocally stated that failing to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup would be completely unacceptable.

“It would be hard to accept the Ivory Coast not making it to the World Cup. This challenge is very important to me and has been on my mind since our last game against Chad in the AFCON qualifiers,” Fae said.

“We’re going to give it our all. We’re going to work extremely hard to be prepared for the match. 

“Our goal is to win our next two games against Burundi and Gambia, maintain the top spot in the group, and increase our chances of qualifying for the World Cup.”

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“I’m super happy as everything went according to plan,” Chebet said in remarks provided by World Athletics. “I felt capable of running under 14 and I managed to do so. Two races in Barcelona and two world records, can I ask for more?”

Beatrice Chebet dominated the track throughout the year with remarkable performances. She etched her name in history by breaking the 10,000-meter world record at Eugene in May.

Later, she powered her way to victory in the 5,000-meter Diamond League final in September, claiming her second title in this prestigious series.

Looking ahead to her future goals, Chebet has set her sights on the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.

She aims to compete in both the 5,000 and 10,000-meter events, building on her previous World Championship medals – a silver from 2022 and a bronze from 2023 in the 5,000 meters.

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