Nigerian international and Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi has regained consciousness after being placed in an induced coma following emergency surgery to repair a severe abdominal injury sustained during a Premier League clash with Leicester City on Sunday, May 11.
The 27-year-old suffered the injury in the 88th minute after colliding with the goalpost while attempting to convert a cross from teammate Anthony Elanga. Despite visible discomfort, Awoniyi continued briefly before being substituted.
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Subsequent scans revealed a ruptured intestine, prompting two emergency surgical procedures on Monday, May 12 and Wednesday, May 14. He was placed in an induced coma between operations to stabilize his condition.
According to club sources, Taiwo successfully woke from the coma on Wednesday evening and is now in stable condition, surrounded by family and medical staff.
The incident has sparked criticism of Nottingham Forest’s medical response and matchday protocols.
Club owner Evangelos Marinakis was seen confronting head coach Nuno Espírito Santo on the pitch post-match, reportedly questioning the decision to allow Awoniyi to continue playing after the initial impact.
Forest has since launched an internal review into the handling of the incident.
Further controversy centers on the assistant referee’s delayed offside flag during the play that led to Awoniyi’s collision.
Teammate Ola Aina publicly criticized the officiating, suggesting the injury might have been avoided had the flag gone up immediately.
While a full recovery is expected, no official timeline has been provided for Taiwo’s return to training or competitive play.
The football community across England and Nigeria has flooded social media with support, wishing the striker a speedy and complete recovery.
