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Football’s lawmakers are set to review the incident that left Super Eagles striker Taiwo Awoniyi requiring surgery for a potentially life-threatening injury.
The Nottingham Forest forward was placed in an induced coma and admitted to intensive care following a collision with the goalpost during his team’s 2-2 draw with Leicester City on Sunday. Awoniyi later underwent a complex operation after sustaining a ruptured intestine.
The incident has reignited criticism of a controversial protocol introduced in 2020, which instructs officials to delay offside flags in “very clear attacking situations when a player is about to score a goal or has a clear run into or towards the opponents’ penalty area.”
In this case, Awoniyi was chasing a cross from teammate Anthony Elanga—who was eventually flagged offside—when the injury occurred. Critics argue that had the offside flag been raised earlier, the dangerous play might have been avoided.
According to Mail Online, the incident is expected to be reviewed by football’s rule-makers. It remains uncertain whether the review will lead to any changes in the current protocol.
The delayed flag rule was introduced to allow potentially valid goals to be scored and reviewed by VAR, reducing the chance of prematurely ending promising attacks. However, the Awoniyi case has raised serious concerns about player safety under the current guidelines.
As of Wednesday night, May 14, Awoniyi was reported to be out of the induced coma and recovering with his family following the surgery.
