Awoniyi explains why he skipped June friendlies

Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi has said he spoke with Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle before the Unity Cup and June friendlies invitations were sent. But he decided to skip the games for personal reasons, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.

Awoniyi was noticeably left out of both squads even though he has been performing well at Forest.

His last game for the Super Eagles was in October 2024. He played 16 minutes in Nigeria’s 1-0 victory over Libya in a 2025 AFCON qualifier.

Before that, he last played in a 1-1 draw against Lesotho in Uyo. That match was Nigeria’s first game in the unsuccessful 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.

The 28-year-old has also missed two AFCON tournaments in a row. Still, he turned down the chance to prove himself for a return to the team for the upcoming friendlies against Poland and Portugal.

“I was supposed to be in the Super Eagles camp, but I opted out because of personal reasons I have to attend to,” Awoniyi told SportsBoom.

“We have lots of talents in the Super Eagles, so for me, everyone that is in the team for the June friendlies is as good as me, just as I’m as good as them,” he added.

After having fitness problems towards the end of the last season and the start of the current one, Awoniyi came back strong at the end of the season to help Forest stay up.

One of his key moments was scoring two goals against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in May. That performance brought his total to four goals and one assist in 17 appearances.

The match against Chelsea was only his second start of the season, and he had just one more start before the season ended.