Awoniyi Will Regret His Performance Against Sudan-Okocha

Former captain of the Super Eagles, Austin Jay-Jay Okocha, has stated that Taiwo Awoniyi will regret his performance against Sudan in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations.

Okocha made this statement at the end of the Super Eagles’ second group match against Sudan at the ongoing AFCON in Cameroon, where Awoniyi scored one goal in the team’s 3-0 victory.  

The Union Berlin of Germany striker scored the second goal of the match after Samuel Chukwueze had handed the team an early lead in the third minute. The goal was Awoniyi’s first goal for the senior team but Okocha feels Awoniyi should have scored more goals during the match.

 “Awoniyi would have done better. He would have scored more goals after that lucky goal but he was in too much of a haste.When he looks back at the match he would regret it,” the former Bolton Wanderers of England captain opined.

Okocha further opined that Awoniyi would have gained more confidence if he had scored more than one goal in the match.

“At least after scoring the goal, he would have gained more confidence,” the 1994 AFCON winner added.

Awoniyi got his chance in the national team after Victor Osimhen, Odion Ighalo, and Emmanuel Dennis were unable to make it to Cameroon due to COVID and club refusal. The former Liverpool player was part of the Golden Eaglets team that won the 2013 FIFA Under-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates. He also represented Nigeria at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in New Zealand in 2015 after the team had won the CAF Under-20 championship in Senegal.

Awoniyi made his debut under Gernot Rohr in 2021 in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against the Central African Republic. He signed for Liverpool in 2015 but was unable to establish himself as a first-team player. He played on loan at Frankfurt and Mainz before signing for Union Berlin in 2021. 

Source

Daily Post NG