Former Arsenal defender, Matthew Upson has criticized Taiwo Awoniyi for squandering a crucial opportunity during Nottingham Forest’s FA Cup quarterfinal victory over Brighton on Saturday evening.
With Chris Wood sidelined due to injury, Awoniyi was given a rare start, but he struggled to make an impact before being substituted in the second half for Anthony Elanga.
The Super Eagles striker had a golden opportunity to put Forest ahead in the first half when he latched onto a well-placed pass from Ola Aina.
But instead of taking his time, Awoniyi rushed his shot, allowing Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen to make a strong save.
Reacting to the miss while analyzing the game on BBC One, Upson pointed out Awoniyi’s poor decision-making.
“Taiwo Awoniyi doesn’t realise how much time he had,” Upson said. “Jan Paul van Hecke couldn’t challenge for the ball, but it was a good strong right foot from Bart Verbruggen.”
Despite Awoniyi’s missed chance, Nottingham Forest progressed to the FA Cup semi-finals after defeating Brighton 4-3 on penalties.
The game had ended goalless after extra time, marking Forest’s third penalty shootout victory in this season’s competition.
Super Eagles defender Ola Aina played the full 120 minutes, just days after featuring in Nigeria’s 1-1 draw against South Africa in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels emerged as the hero, making crucial saves against Jack Hinshelwood and Diego Gomez to secure the victory after Neco Williams had missed his penalty.
Awoniyi’s struggles in front of goal have been evident this season, with the Nigerian managing just two goals in 27 appearances across all competitions.
His poor form contributed to his omission from Nigeria’s squad for the last international break, missing the qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe.
With Chris Wood still sidelined, the Nigerian striker may get more chances in the upcoming Premier League fixtures. However, he will need to improve significantly to reclaim his place as Forest’s main attacking option.
With crucial Premier League fixtures ahead and Nottingham Forest firmly in the top-four race, the pressure is mounting on him to step up and prove his worth.
