Taiwo Awoniyi: 3 reasons why Nottingham Forest star could outshine Victor Osimhen this season

Victor Osimhen is widely regarded as the Super Eagles best, but Taiwo Awoniyi is hot on his heels

Victor Osimhen’s reign as the undisputed best striker in the Super Eagles finally has a worthy adversary in Nottingham Forest’s Taiwo Awoniyi, who, so far in the 2023/24 season has matched the Napoli frontman stride for stride.

While Osimhen is still considered the better player after an outstanding 2022/23 campaign, there are three key things that could work in Awoniyi’s favour in the new season and could help him compete favourably with his compatriot in the eyes of fans and pundits.

Awoniyi plays in the bigger, more publicised Premier League

Despite smashing record after record on the way to Napoli’s first Serie A title since they were inspired by Maradona in 1990, Osimhen, and indeed other Napoli players have not received recognition that such a feat would normally attract.

Still viewed in some quarters as unproven for a big-money move after three seasons in Italy, these doubts are largely due to the perception of the Serie A and its weaknesses compared to the Premier League for example.

The cost of not playing in the most televised and hyped league in the world is the lack of recognition of achievements, which often affects how players are viewed. 

This is why a player like Pervis Estupinan is remembered more as a solid FPL option than for winning the Europa League and reaching the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League in back-to-back seasons with Villarreal.

Awoniyi has the edge of playing in the Premier League and his efforts count as nearly double in the eyes of teeming fans who are more receptive to narratives than [erformances alone.

Awoniyi has more records to break

Osimhen’s outstanding 2022/23 season saw him equal and break a number of Serie A, personal, and African records.

However, this has left him with fewer opportunities to wow audiences with record-breaking feats.

Meanwhile, Awoniyi is already off the mark this season, setting a new milestone for Nottingham Forest after scoring in seven consecutive games, the most in the club’s 21st-century history, and the most by any African player in Premier League history.

Given his current form and the nature of records available, the Nottingham Forest Marskman could be set for more milestones this season, with each one raising his stock even higher.

Osimhen’s successes in previous seasons mean he will have to do more to break records and get similar recognition.

Awoniyi has relatively lower expectations 

Another side effect of success for Osimhen is that he has to keep outdoing himself to keep the same level of attention to his performances without short-attention-span fans getting bored of his heroics.

A problem even greats like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have suffered.

The Nigerian wonder hit a personal best 31 goals in all competitions last season, as well as an African best 26 goals in the Serie A, but will find that equalling that tally will not earn him as much social currency with fans and pundits who now see that as the minimum for the Nigerian, while doing any less will be seen as a below par season.

Awoniyi still has the advantage of the wow factor thanks to a lower bar, and if he goes anywhere near the figures Osimhen put up last season, he will be lauded as a sensation, and rightly so.

While Osimhen may yet still perform better, challenging for major honours as well, Awoniyi certainly has the tools to sway the public perception about their overall exploits.

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