Taiwo Awoniyi, the Nottingham Forest striker, is spending his second day in an induced coma after emergency surgery for an abdominal injury. He was left with a ruptured intestine after hitting a goal post during an FA Cup 1–0 knockout victory against Leicester City on Sunday. To stabilize his condition, physicians made the decision to place him in a medically-induced coma. On Monday evening, medical staff carried Awoniyi to the hospital. Their subsequent investigations revealed the extent of his poor health.
The altercation happened in the closing seconds of the game, which resulted in a 2-2 tie. Awoniyi had gotten about a minute of treatment on the field but was willing to go back on—even after he was visibly wavering and unable to stand unaided. His injury required immediate surgery on Tuesday morning. Thank goodness we’ve heard that there are no signs that his injuries are life threatening. The plan is for an induced coma to reduce movement and further stabilize his heart rate. This helps him tremendously as he begins the long-term recovery journey.
Details of the Incident
During the game, Awoniyi ended up crashing into the post trying to get to a pass from fellow forward Anthony Elanga. The outrage over the incident has led to fresh debates about football’s offside laws. Elanga played the pass from an obviously offside position. Assistant referee Sian Massey-Ellis did not raise her flag, and so the game went on.
This highly controversial decision sparked public criticism, much outcry and many petitions to change the rules that govern offside scenarios. As Stephen Warnock noted, “We’re looking at [the Awoniyi incident] and going: is that what we’ve been waiting for? For something to happen to change the rules?” He emphasized that common sense must prevail in such situations, stating, “Surely it has to be common sense, common sense has to kick into gear at some point.”
Reactions from the Football Community
The fallout from Awoniyi’s unfortunate injury has led to some damning statements from respected football people. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola called it a disgrace to the game after noting the obvious offside and lack of regard for Awoniyi’s wellbeing. He remarked, “I don’t understand. It’s so clear, the offside, and now he is injured.” Guardiola was right to recognize that the officials on the field are working under orders from above. Especially with the pandemic as a backdrop, he called for rethinking those long-standing rules.
After some confusion over the statement, Nottingham Forest issued a clarification. They cleared the air surrounding Awoniyi’s alleged argument with Nuno or other teammates, on and off the pitch during the encounter. Supporters’ club has hailed the contributions of Awoniyi. Wish him quick recovery. The post Supporters’ club hails Awoniyi’s contributions appeared first on CompleteFS.
The Road Ahead
In the meantime, as Awoniyi continues his path to recovery, Nottingham Forest supporters and teammates are fully supporting their teammate. The club shares he’s doing quite well as he recovers from surgery. His return to action seems unclear at this point. Debates over offside rules will keep raging as interested parties inside football try to ensure this sort of thing doesn’t happen again.
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