Popular Nigerian Footballer In Coma After Emergency Surgery In UK
Nigerian-born Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi has woken from an induced coma after undergoing emergency surgery to treat a severe abdominal injury sustained during his side’s 2-2 draw with Leicester City on Sunday.
Awoniyi, 26, suffered a ruptured intestine after colliding with the goalpost late in the match.
The incident occurred as he attempted to reach a cross from winger Anthony Elanga, who was later confirmed offside in the build-up.
The Nigerian forward underwent the first stage of surgery on Monday and was placed in an induced coma on Tuesday so that medical staff could closely monitor his condition.
He underwent the second part of the surgery, which included closing the wound, on Wednesday before being brought out of the coma later that evening.
According to BBC Sport, Awoniyi’s injury was “potentially life-threatening.”
Consultant colorectal surgeon Professor Gillian Tierney said, “The injury is really serious. It is potentially life-threatening. It is very easy to miss at the point of contact and can take hours to diagnose.”
She added, “Fluid leaking from the intestine would not be easy to diagnose straight away…
“The mortality stat is 9%. So if an athlete – who went through the procedure – was really fit, they would stand a good chance of being OK.”
Mr. Harpaul Flora, a consultant vascular and general surgeon at The London Clinic, echoed the severity of the injury.
“It can be life-threatening. If it wasn’t treated by a hospital, it can give you an infection. It could then lead to sepsis, which is a life-threatening consequence.”
Forest confirmed the surgery in a statement released Tuesday, while expressing dissatisfaction over how the situation was managed: “There is a shared frustration between all of us that the medical team should never have allowed the player to continue.”
Awoniyi initially received treatment on the pitch after the collision and appeared to suggest he could continue. However, he remained visibly uncomfortable.
By then, head coach Nuno Espirito Santo had used all available substitutions, and Awoniyi stayed on the field.
Club owner Evangelos Marinakis was seen entering the pitch post-match to speak directly with the coaching staff, raising concerns over how the incident was handled.
The club has launched an internal review to determine how Awoniyi could continue playing.
The injury has also reignited debate around the implementation of the offside law in the VAR era.
Former Premier League referee Keith Hackett criticised the delayed flag policy, stating, “This practice does expose the risk to players of injury.”
Former England international Fara Williams was even more direct in her condemnation, “This has been a time bomb waiting to go off in terms of someone getting seriously injured.
“Awoniyi got that horrific injury because of it. I am totally against it and I feel most players are as well.”
She added, “When an offside is so clear and obvious, I think it is the duty of the assistant referee to put their flag up and stop play. It is a rule that nobody likes and I am sure it will be assessed in the summer.”
