Taiwo Awoniyi posing in a Coventry City FC jersey flexing both arms inside Coventry City Stadium
Taiwo Awoniyi Coventry City Photo - Naija Football Daily


Nigeria has called up Taiwo Awoniyi to replace Victor Osimhen in its squad for the opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. The Super Eagles announced the change on Sunday on their official X account. The post stated that the Coventry City striker will take the place of Osimhen for the matches against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.

Osimhen was ruled out after failing to recover from a muscle strain in time for the international window. The Galatasaray forward was initially included in head coach Éric Chelle's 24-man squad but remained sidelined after picking up a right adductor muscle strain during Galatasaray's Turkish Super Lig clash with Istanbul Basaksehir on September 5. 

His recovery took longer than expected, and he was unavailable for Galatasaray's league game against Trabzonspor on September 19, which had been viewed as a fitness checkpoint. Following confirmation from the Nigeria Football Federation that he would miss the qualifiers, Chelle turned to Awoniyi as a late replacement.

Nigeria will begin its qualifying campaign at home against Madagascar at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on September 25, before travelling to Bissau to face Guinea-Bissau on September 29.