Awoniyi asks Coventry to be more clinical after Hull loss as Osimhen and Lookman shine in Europe

Taiwo Awoniyi has called for Coventry City to be more clinical after their disappointing 1-0 loss to Hull City. Meanwhile, fellow Super Eagles forwards Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman had different experiences in Europe on Saturday.

Awoniyi started Coventry’s first home Premier League game in 25 years at the Coventry Building Society Arena. He was involved in many of the best attacking moments for the team.

The Nigerian striker came close to scoring three times in a lively first half, but Coventry could not turn their possession and chances into goals.

They were punished in the 82nd minute when Liam Millar scored on a counter-attack. Hull, which featured Nigerian international Semi Ajayi, took all three points.

For Awoniyi, the loss was about Coventry not taking their chances. "We did quite well in terms of having the ball, but unfortunately, they had that great counterattack, and they took their chance. It is on us to take our chances as well," he told Coventry media.

Hull’s goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis also made several key saves to keep Coventry from scoring.

Awoniyi felt particularly frustrated by one chance when he tried to get a decisive touch. The goalkeeper stopped him. "The chances that we had were the ones that the goalkeeper saved. I wanted to put my foot in, and that was one of the clear chances that we had, and I think the keeper was brilliant for them," he said.

"We just have to take our chances, as I said earlier. We didn’t take it, and they took theirs; it was a disappointing defeat for us."

This loss leaves Coventry with two defeats from their first two matches since returning to the Premier League. Still, Awoniyi believes the team showed enough in possession and build-up play to compete.

He said the main issue is turning that possession into real chances in the opponents' box. "As a team, we played better, we had the ball more, but at the end the goal counts, and we just have to penetrate the ball more into the boxes, and to create more chances," he added.

While Awoniyi looks for his first Premier League goal this season, Osimhen and Lookman reminded fans of Nigeria's attacking talent at the club level.

Osimhen continued his strong start to the season by scoring and assisting in Galatasaray’s 3-2 win over Göztepe at Rams Park. The 2023 African Player of the Year first set up Gabriel Sara and then scored a penalty in the 63rd minute.

That goal brought his total to five in three league games after starting the season with back-to-back braces against Çorum and Erzurumspor.

In Spain, the 2024 African Player of the Year, Lookman, also scored for Atletico Madrid in their 3-1 victory over Sevilla. The Nigerian forward netted in the 26th minute, calmly finding the bottom corner after receiving the ball inside the box.

This was his first goal of the season after not scoring in Atletico’s previous matches against Malaga and Villarreal.

The performances of Osimhen and Lookman offer a bright contrast to Awoniyi’s tough afternoon. Nigeria’s top forwards continue making their mark in Europe.

For Awoniyi, the focus now is on helping Coventry adjust to life back in the Premier League. "A fantastic club. My achievement is for us to be in the league and stay in it because the Premier League is the most difficult in the world. The goal for every player is to be a Premier League player."

He also urged Coventry to quickly forget the Hull loss as they prepare for a tough match against Manchester City on 5 September. "It’s just the start of the season. We have to look ahead to every game. We still have more games coming up, and the goal is to forget about the defeat and look forward to what we can improve and get the points as quickly as possible."

With the season still young, Awoniyi hopes Coventry can turn their good play into goals. At the same time, Osimhen and Lookman aim to keep up their early-season form.