A Tale of Love, Adversity & Rejection: Taiwo Awoniyi’s Untold Story

If you ask for a player of Nigerian origin with very humble beginnings, you’ll likely hear the name “Big Awo,” which is the nickname for Taiwo Awoniyi. Born to Mary Motunrayo and Elder Solomon Adewoye Awoniyi, Taiwo’s story is one of a boy, the son of a Nigerian police officer who knew what it meant to grow up hungry. As a child, Taiwo would sneak food from his classmate Taiye Jesudun. Surprisingly, even though she caught him, she never complained. Those moments stayed with him, and after achieving success as a footballer, Taiwo returned to Nigeria to find Taiye. He did, and asked for her hand in marriage. Today, Taiwo and Taiye are happily married.

This article tells the story of a footballer who understands the feeling of being unwanted by multiple clubs. For six years, Taiwo Awoniyi endured a painful journey through seven different clubs.

The worst part was being denied a UK work permit. Fortunately, Big Awo, as he is nicknamed, found a club that believed in him. At Union Berlin, he became a prolific goal scorer, a skill he carried with him to his current club, Nottingham Forest.

Our article on Taiwo Awoniyi’s Biography goes beyond his career success story, delving into his early childhood experiences and the challenges he faced in his early football years. In his development, we explore the roles of his parents, Mary Motunrayo Awoniyi and Elder Solomon Adewoye Awoniyi, and introduce you to his twin sister (Kehinde), his big brother (Victor), and his family background.

We also cover his wife, Taiye Jesudun, and their son, Emmanuel. The story of this Nigerian football forward further unveils Taiwo’s family origins, Yoruba ethnicity, Nigerian state of origin, personal life, and lifestyle. Without further ado, let’s dive into the heart of this story.

Preamble:

We begin the history of Taiwo Awoniyi by telling you about the events of his early years. We do not limit this to how he refused his parents’ wish to be a medical doctor. Also, we’ll tell how Taiwo diverted monies (to be used for his JAMB exams) to register at a local football academy.

Next, we’ll tell the story of his miraculous journey to reach Europe. Then finally, how Big Awo went against all odds to become successful in the beautiful game.

We hope to whet your autobiography taste as you read Taiwo Awoniyi’s Biography. To begin doing that, let us show you this gallery of the Big Man’s Early Life and Rise.

You see this Nigerian footballer?… he has been through some hard times in life. Taiwo has indeed come a long way in his difficult career journey.

Yes, everyone knows he has earned his reputation as an advanced forward, target man, deep-lying forward, goal-poacher, etc.

Have you noticed Taiwo Awoniyi’s chest size of above 46″ inches? That, alongside his qualities, are among the things defender fears, a feat that makes the Big Man is a dangerous top-class forward.

We notice a knowledge gap in research about Taiwo Awoniyi’s history. People are more interested in reading about his goal-scoring abilities and transition-based attacks.

We found that not many football fans have read an in-depth version of Taiwo Awoniyi’s Biography. So, without further ado, let’s begin with the story of his early life.

Taiwo Awoniyi Childhood Story:

To begin with, he bears two nicknames, “Big Awo” and “The New Rashidi Yekini”. Taiwo Micheal Awoniyi was born on the 12th day of August 1997 to his Mother, Mary Motunrayo Awoniyi and Father, Elder Solomon Adewoye Awoniyi, in Ilorin.

This is a city in Sout West of Nigeria. The name “Tiawo” is a unisex name, meaning “the first twin to taste the world“.

The Nigerian Forward arrived in the world as a Twin to his sister, Kehinde Awoniyi. Taiwo is one among six children (three males and three females) born to the marital union between his Dad and Mum.

Now, let’s introduce you to Taiwo Awoniyi’s parents. Elder Solomon Adewoye Awoniyi and his wife, Mary Motunrayo Awoniyi, are pillars of their son’s success.

Growing-Up Years:

For the Striker, life started in the Nigerian city of Ilorin. This metropolis gave him the platform to hustle his way to soccer stardom. Today, Taiwo Awoniyi has grown to become the toast of Nigerian football society. The truth is, there was a humble start, even before making it big in life.

The son of a Nigerian Police officer, as he is known, grew up alongside his twin. Awoniyi Kehinde is her name, and her full names are Taiye Jesudun Awoniyi. For these two (Taiwo and Kehinde), being a twin is like being born as best friends.

As observed below, the connection between Taiwo Awoniyi and his twin sister has been legendary from the onset.

Asides from his twin (Kehinde), the most notable of Taiwo Awoniyi’s siblings is his brother, Victor. From the photo below, Victor appears younger, but he is actually older than Taiwo.

Both brothers took the photo during Victor Awoniyi’s wedding to his wife, Chioma Charity. The brothers’ unconditional love is priceless, as they have always stood by each other.

Taiwo Awoniyi Early Life:

Starting off, it is pertinent to note that Mary Motunrayo Awoniyi is the origin of her son’s football destiny.

The decision to take the game seriously came at the time Taiwo Awoniyi’s Mum fulfilled his greatest wish as a child. Mary went to the market and bought Taiwo a ball as a gift.

At that time, all the boy wanted was to have his own soccer ball, and having it (through his Mum) changed Taiwo’s life. Here is Taiwo Awoniyi’s mum’s version of the story.

Early on, kicking too much football prevented the youngster from participating in other activities. As said by Taiwo Awoniyi’s Mum above, there were friends of his son who advised him to stop playing too much football.

Mrs Mary Motunrayo Awoniyi ensured Taiwo ignored those detractors. That mother-son relationship from the onset was solid, and it has proven to be extremely rewarding.

Taiwo Awoniyi’s early life with football began on the dusty streets of Ilorin, North-West Nigeria. The month of July 2009 changed his life. Little Taiwo was one of those kids who was lucky to see Jose Mourinho visiting his state in Nigeria.

Yes, The Special One paid a visit to Kwara Football Academy (KFA), which is the football school Awoniyi kick-started his youth career.

Mourinho’s visit changed the lives of young Awoniyi alongside other boys, like Emmanuel Dennis (who also began from the academy). It was in this Ilorin’s grassroots scene that Imperial Soccer Academy discovered Awoniyi’s talents.

Taiwo Awoniyi Family Background:

To start with, the footballer is the son of a Nigerian police officer. The Nigerian police are the lowest paid among all corresponding security agencies in the country. Taiwo Awoniyi hails from a below-middle-class family.

This household belongs to a poorer subdivision of Nigeria’s more fabulous middle class. Taiwo once revealed he is from a poor family. Also, he said that getting money to eat was sometimes difficult for his family.

Except where natural talent exists, it is extremely difficult for the son of a poor Nigerian Police officer to get career success.

Despite the little take-home pay and living conditions he experienced as a police personnel, Elder Solomon Adewoye Awoniyi ensured none of his children (Taiwo, Kehinde, Victor, etc.) lacked education.

Together with his wife (Mary Motunrayo), they built a home where support, love and birthday celebrations exist.

Taiwo Awoniyi Family House:

Football dividends began paying off quite early. With finances from Taiwo’s early career wages, he supported his parents in building their family home.

Having that spacious compound to build a duplex, boys’ quarters, and a guest apartment is what his Dad (Solomon) had always dreamt of.

Taiwo Awoniyi Family Origin:

Big Awo, as they Nickname him, is an African of Nigerian nationality. Regarding the state in Nigeria, Taiwo Awoniyi comes from; our research points to Kwara state. This Nigerian state has the slogan “Salt of the Nation”.

As observed from the map, Taiwo Awoniyi’s state of origin (Kwara State) is a state in the Western part of Nigeria. This Nigerian state has a population of around 3.2 million people.

Taiwo Awoniyi Ethnicity:

Following our research, we trace the Nigerian footballer to the ethnographic Division known as “The Yorubas”.

The Yoruba people are an African ethnic group found mostly in the South Western part of Nigeria, Benin and Togo.

Put simply, Taiwo Awoniyi is a Yoruba man from a Yoruba family in Illorin City, Kwara state, South West of Nigeria. His ethnic group (Yoruba) is the second largest in Nigeria (21%) after the Hausa-Fulani (29%) and Igbo (coming next).

Taiwo Awoniyi Education:

Similar to Eric Choupo-Moting and Moses Simon, the Forward met and fell in love with his wife during their secondary school days. This article serves as a detailed version of the love story.

Also, we’ll tell you facts about Taiwo Awoniyi’s wife. From what we’ve gathered, his parents (Elder Solomon Adewoye and Mary Motunrayo Awoniyi) never found it easy to send their children to school – as he said.

Initially, Taiwo Awoniyi’s father (Solomon) had a totally different plan for his son. All Elder Solomon wanted was for his son to become a medical doctor.

From the onset, Taiwo knew his Dad was asking for something that wasn’t part of his future plans. In order to make his father understand, he once walked up to him and said,

Daddy, I can’t follow your idea of what you want my Profession to be. This is because I won’t be patient like a Doctor.

As an understanding father, there was never a fight between the two. Even while football was in the pipeline, Taiwo Awoniyi’s parents had agreed that their son would attend a university.

Unknown to them, Taiwo Awoniyi (at that time) wasn’t interested in going to a university. He had plans to temporarily stop his education at the secondary school level.

When Awoniyi’s Dad gave him money for JAMB (a Nigerian University entrance exam), he used the money to enrol in a local football academy. Now, here is Elder Solomon’s version of the story.

Taiwo Awoniyi Biography – Untold Football Story:

The son of Elder Solomon Adewoye and Mary Motunrayo finally got his way. For giving him his blessings, Taiwo Awoniyi promised his parents a lot once he became a rich footballer.

At that time, the dream of becoming a medical doctor became dead and buried. And everyone in the family (especially his ever-jovial Dad), began rooting for their own to succeed.

In 2020, Taiwo Awoniyi moved from his childhood club (KFA) to Imperial Soccer Academy. This academy, at that time, was located in Odogbolu, a Local Government Area in Ogun State, Nigeria.

Life at the academy wasn’t easy at first for Taiwo, as getting money to eat and buy football boots was sometimes difficult. While he was there, Awoniyi ensured determination and self-belief were his watchwords.

Converting wasted football boots to his own:

Early on, he never wanted to pressure his parents into providing him with football boots. At those moments, Awoniyi forced himself to get creative.

When his teammates discard their boots because of wear and tear, he will go pick them up. Awoniyi would patch up (or sew) the boots and use them for his football. Speaking about that, he once said;

I remember my Dad buying me a football shoe and when I use it for so long, it gets torn. Observing that, I was forced to look for an alternative myself.

I would go and search for any waste boots my teammates have thrown away. One day, I found one with the Nike logo. I removed the logo and other parts and patched it up with my bad boots. All my teammates at the Academy were amazed at how I was able to create a better football boot.

The role of his local coach:

To date, it is hard for Taiwo Awoniyi to forget Garba Abdulrasaq Olojo’s role in his career. This man was his youth coach and mentor at the Imperial Soccer Academy.

Coach Garba is by far the most important figure in Awoniyi’s youth. A man who taught him discipline and how to succeed locally. Now, here are some words from the magnificent coach.

Garba Abdulrasaq Olojo was the kind of coach who would call his boys to come train even after a match. When Taiwo and his teammates played a match in the morning, he would tell them to come in the afternoon to train.

Coach Garba’s reasons for that were simple. He does not want the talent of his boys to die. Through the teachings of Garba Abdulrasaq Olojo, Taiwo honed and mastered his goal-scoring skills.

Early decisions that changed his destiny:

Seyi Olofinjana, the ex-Grasshopper Zurich Technical Director, owns Imperial Soccer Academy. Seyi Olofinjana owns the Imperial in partnership with Atiba Bankole. They were also prominent persons in Taiwo’s early career.

When Taiwo Awoniyi was 13, they successfully convinced his parents to have their son move to Lagos. That was around 200 kilometres from Taiwo Awoniyi’s family home. Moving alone was a difficult decision for the youngster.

Imperial Academy wanted him to focus more on football, and they had to sponsor Taiwo Awoniyi’s education and well-being.

His parents signed off on it, and they were happy that their son would no longer have to worry about repairing his boots or tracking home from training.

Through Seyi Olofinjana and Atiba Bankole, Awoniyi had the best resources for his development. The boy took full advantage of his fortunes. The time he would have spent doing other things at his family home was spent only on football and his education.

At that time, Awoniyi began paying a special focus on gaining muscle mass. When he came back from school, he would go and spend hours in the gym to build up his chest muscles.

The turning point:

In 2010, Taiwo got the biggest opportunity of his life in Nigeria. His team was called up to the popular Coca-Cola Competition in Ibadan, South-West Nigeria. In that big competition, Awoniyi became the best striker.

His performance earned him and his team a trip to London. While in the UK, he shone like a thousand stars. Awoniyi brought home two giant awards. The first was the Most Valuable Player Award, and the second was the Golden Boot Award.

Taiwo Awoniyi Bio – The Long Road to Fame:

His success at the Coca-Cola Competition earned him a place in the Nigerian under-15 team youth team. In 2012, Awoniyi graduated from the Nigerian U15 side and was moved to the under-17.

Months later, a big opportunity for international recognition came. He was to prepare and participate in the Morocco 2013 U17 African Nations Cup.

In Morocco, the top stars of the tournament were two strikers, Isaac Success and Kelechi Iheanacho. They finished as top scorers while Awoniyi was on the sidelines (on the bench). He (a patient footballer) was behind Kelechi Ihenacho and Isaac. Awoniyi waiting to take his chance to shine whenever it comes.

The First Luck:

According to FIFA rules, the top four teams from the above tournament would qualify for the U17 FIFA World Cup.

At first, Awoniyi was not in the picture for the FIFA U-17 World Cup tournament, which was to be hosted by the United Arab Emirates. Luckily for him, some footballers were dropped from the final squad after failing their mandatory MRI scan.

Because of that, a lucky Taiwo Awoniyi got called to replace one of those footballers, thereby completing the 24-man squad.

Some people call it grace or luck, but we calls it a stroke of both. When Awoniyi’s phone rang for the call, he knew his most significant moment had come.

The Second Luck:

For Taiwo, the sole purpose of going to the U17 World Cup was to seek global recognition. After a month after his 16th birthday, the Golden Eaglets (Nigeria U17) jetted off to Al Ain, the host city of their FIFA U17 World Cup.

As many had expected, the West African giants started their youth FIFA World Cup campaign on a positive note against Mexico, Sweden and Iraq.

The Nigerian boys scored fourteen goals in the group stage – with Kelechi Iheanacho and Success contributing to ten of them. AGAIN, Awoniyi sat on the bench for the matches until an injury happened for Success.

Because of the unfortunate twist of fate for Isaac Success, Awoniyi got his stroke of luck again. Poor Isaac Success was ruled out of the remainder of the competition.

This part of Taiwo Awoniyi’s Biography makes us understand that life in general and football are similar – as both deal with fine margins. Awoniyi finished that u-17 World Cup tournament with nine goals, scoring thrice in the quarter-final and semi-final.

There were some spectators who said he was the best in that Nigerian team. Let’s not forget that he didn’t start the competition from the onset and wasn’t even expected to feature much.

Although Kelechi Iheanacho was the star of the big tournament, it was Taiwo Awoniyi who made everything click with the Nigerian attack.

In the final, Taiwo Awoniyi’s maturity on the ball helped Nigeria thrash Mexico 3-0. By doing that, the Nigerian youth side became the world champions for the fourth time.

The painful wait for a European call:

After the tournament, Isaac Success and Iheanacho became the first footballers to get big European moves. In January 2014, Udinese called Isaac Success, and Manchester City bought Kelechi Iheanacho.

Sadly for Taiwo Awoniyi, it seemed the world had suddenly forgotten him. He felt he was abandoned despite showing his worth in the u-17 World Cup, especially how he bullied defenders and scored goals. It was a painful time for the young Awoniyi and his family.

Even in a year later, nothing happened, and there was no call from Europe. Poor Awoniyi moved on. In March 2015, Awoniyi’s Nigeria team was to play in the U20 African Nations Cup.

In that match, his three goals helped Nigeria win the competition and qualify for the U20 World Cup in New Zealand. It was that performance that finally gave him a feeling that Europe was near.

On a beautiful day, Awoniyi had just celebrated his 18th birthday when his phone rang again. To the joy of his entire Solomon family, it was Liverpool (of all powerhouses) calling for his services.

Journey to Fame Story:

Initially, Imperial Soccer Academy never wanted him to go to a big club. This is because they felt a young player at a big club would always be judged against other established Stars in the team.

So the management was waiting for offers to come from Belgium and Scandinavia countries. When a mighty Liverpool came, they became shocked and could not resist.

Liverpool, one of the most successful teams in world football, secured Awoniyi’s services in 2017. Grace found him on the day he signed for Liverpool, and many of Awoniyi’s Nigerian friends said, “Our guy don finally blow,” – meaning he has finally made it.

Awoniyi’s dreams of scoring at Anfield and hearing the “You will never walk alone” chant didn’t come as expected.

Sadly, he was denied a work permit, which made him ineligible to play in England. In other to make him get along with his football, Liverpool had to send the Big Awo on loan.

The Painful Loan Journeys:

While Awoniyi was on loan, Liverpool sold Raheem Sterling to Man City. And Jurgen Klopp recruited Bobby Firmino, Christian Benteke and Danny Ings. Still, there was no place for him, as Liverpool never wanted him. This came even after Victor Moses was sold. The truth is, Liverpool kept pushing poor Awoniyi out on loan.

From 2015 to 2021, Awoniyi endured pains while going on many loan journies. First with FSV Frankfurt. And then to NEC, Mouscron, Gent, Mouscron AGAIN, Mainz 05 and Union Berlin.

The truth is, these loan journeys made him get mature as a footballer. Back at home, everyone knew Taiwo Awoniyi was stuck in a difficult situation.

As the law says, soccer stars from outside Europe can only be eligible for a work permit in England if they feature on a regular basis for their national team.

Because Awoniyi was in the minor league, it became tougher for him to get a call-up to the Super Eagles.

In his boyhood academy in Illorin, his old friends were still waiting for their hero to make a splash in the premier league.

Another luck came again:

During Awoniyi’s loan period with Mainz 05, he became a target of Union Berlin’s sporting director. Mainz’s Anthony Ujah had suffered a long-term injury, and Union Berlin needed to replace him so quickly.

Olivia Runhert had to sanction a move for Awoniyi, whom he believes fit the bill perfectly. Remember how Big Awo got a call when other footballers failed their MRI scan before? This is another example of one of his numerous luck again.

Awoniyi finally found the club that wanted him. He kicked off the 21/22 season by scoring in three successive Bundesliga matches. The Ilorin-born forward suddenly became a beast in front of goal.

Awoniyi did not look back as he continued to wreak havoc on the Bundesliga defence. This feat earned him a permanent contract and a call to the Nigerian national team by Rohr in late 2021 (as a direct competitor to Paul Onuachu).

Joining Nottingham Forest:

After eight long years of making a football journey across Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, The King of Berlin finally saw his Premier League dreams come true.

The newly promoted Premier League side Nottingham Forest broke their banks for Big Awo. On June 25th of 2022, they signed him on a five-year deal at a record fee of £17 million.

Taiwo, the towering, strong forward, is very much likely to have a successful Premier League career. Awoniyi is destined to thrive in a Nuno Espírito Santo side which boasts of promising footballers.

For example, the likes of Neco Williams (RB), Brennan Johnson (RW), Dean Henderson (GK), etc. As they say, the rest of Taiwo Awoniyi’s Biography is now history. Now, let’s tell you about the fantastic love story of Big Awo.

How Taiwo Awoniyi met his Wife – The Untold Love Story:

When the Nigerian Forward was in secondary school, he decided he wouldn’t ask any girl out. It wasn’t because Awoniyi didn’t like girls or there weren’t beautiful girls in his school.

According to Taiwo, it was the poverty in him that made it difficult to ask any lady out. Taiwo Awoniyi’s parents lacked monies during his secondary school days for his upkeep.

Because of the lack of money for his school meals, poor Awoniyi would always go hungry. Back then, this classmate of his loved bringing food to school. Whenever she opened her food cooler, poor Awoniyi would smartly steal some of her food.

Sometimes, he would do that jokingly, but with some funny looks, boldness and arrogance. Awoniyi would take her food even though he knew she might get angry and report him to the school head teacher.

Among the food he steals most, his favourites were bread and Puff-Puff. That food might be too little or cheap, but poor Taiwo Awoniyi needed to survive as he had nothing to eat.

The truth is, he (who comes from a poor family) knew what it meant to go hungry. Because he had nothing to eat, Taiye Jesudun’s food was his only means of survival during his early secondary school days.

Falling in love with Taiye Jesudun:

Recognising her generosity and willingness to let him steal her food, Taiwo suddenly began feeling something in him. He developed some emotional feelings for Taiye Jesudun.

Even as he felt love in his heart, a shy Awoniyi was not bold enough to express it to her. All he could do was keep eating her food and waiting for the moment his confidence would grow.

In Taiwo Awoniyi’s mind, the only way to increase his confidence is to make headway in his football career. When Awoniyi came back from that tournament he went to in London, he saw himself finally having some courage to approach Taiye Jesudun.

At that time, both of them had finished their secondary education. Taiye Jesudun was within Illorin, waiting to gain admission into the University.

He got a shocking reply from her:

After returning from the London tournament, Taiwo Awoniyi began searching for Taiye Jesudun, the only girl he loves. Luckily for him, he got her phone number, chatted with her and requested they both see each other immediately.

Upon meeting her, Awoniyi tried to use his London football fame to make her feel he could win her heart. Shocking, the young footballer got the most bizarre reply from the girl, Taiye Jesudun. In her words,

Well, I heard you went to London to play football, but who cares?…

Exposing his true feelings:

Recognising she was not the girl who cared about his football achievement, Taiwo changed how he talked so highly of himself.

This time, he opened up by telling her why he would never let go of her. Awoniyi explained what she did for him back in school. He made her remember those days he was hungry in school and how much her food helped his survival.

The Nigerian footballer further explained how much he had loved her from their schooling days but never had the boldness to say it. Upon hearing his true feelings, Taiye Jesudun accepted his request to start a renewed friendship.

It was at this moment Taiwo Awoniyi knew he had found his wife. Yes, it took no time before Taiye Jesudun reciprocated the feeling, and both fell deeply in love with each other.

No doubt, Big Awo has one of the most heart-warming love stories in football. Before Forest broke their transfer record to sign Taiwo Awoniyi, the Goal machine (in an interview) told fans about his love life.

Taiwo Awoniyi’s Wedding:

Taiye Jesudun stood by her boyfriend during his frustrating days as a Liverpool Loanie. Those painful years he spent fighting for a work permit to play football in the Premier League. During his third loan spell with the Belgian club Mouscron, Awoniyi (in 2018) got married to Taiye Jesudun.

Taiwo Awoniyi’s wedding venue was in Kwara state of Nigeria. He got married on the 14th day of July 2018. His wedding day was the day Belgium defeated England for a third-place finish at the 2018 FIFA World Cup – thanks to Thomas Munier and Eden Hazard strikes.

On that day, members of Taiwo Awoniyi’s family (immediate and extended), including friends and well-wishers, were all in attendance.

Taiwo Awoniyi’s Son:

His name is Emmanuel Taiwo Awoniyi. Emma, as they nickname him, is the first child and son of Taiwo and Taiye Awoniyi.

Taiwo Awoniyi’s child (his first son) was born on the 16th day of October 2020. As of 2022, Emmanuel Awoniyi remains the only child of his parents.

Personal Life:

Who is Taiwo Awoniyi?

The Striker looks quiet, but he was stubborn, especially during his secondary school days. According to Awoniyi, he was stubborn because he dislikes when people cheat on his friends. This was the reason Taiwo Awoniyi fought during his schooling days.

Many Nigerian footballers never made it through their loan journies. Awoniyi endured a lot during his long journey and tour of Europe in his quest for footballing fame. He knows that his loan spell was the painful odyssey that toughened him up mentally.

He is glad to have survived the ups and downs of his career, from Ilorin to Lagos, London, Morocco, UAE, Senegal, England, Germany, New Zealand, Belgium, Sweden, Germany and finally to England.

Taiwo Awoniyi Lifestyle:

Away from his football duties, the Nigerian striker does find time to take his family out. Awoniyi is no stranger to knowing the best holiday destinations in the city of London.

He loves this kind of family moment, which makes him forget about the stressful job of being a professional footballer. Here is Taiwo Awoniyi’s Spouse and son enjoying their vacation.

Because he is so quiet, people often wonder if Taiwo ever went clubbing before marrying his wife. The truth is, he actually did, but it was mandatory clubbing for both him and his Frankfurt teammates. The club threatened that anyone who didn’t attend would pay a fine.

Regarding Taiwo Awoniyi’s hobby, he likes listening to Christian songs. Also, a few Nigerian music from Olamide, Wizkid and Davido.

Taiwo Awoniyi’s Car:

Although we have not pictured him driving, his family back in Nigeria own many cars. Among the cars include a V-6 Toyota Highlander and three Toyota Camry cars. Take a look at the vehicles in Awoniyi’s family compound in Nigeria.

Taiwo Awoniyi Family Life:

In the course of writing this Bio, we found that Football was the most significant lifeline for his household. Today, the Awoniyis are all glad it has changed a lot of things.

In this section, we’ll tell you more about his family members – people who were with him as he went through his difficult times. Let’s start with Elder Solomon Adewoye Awoniyi.

About Taiwo Awoniyi’s Father:

Starting off, Elder Solomon, a very respected figure in Illorin City, celebrates his birthday every 3rd of November.

As Taiwo, his son, couldn’t be a medical doctor, Elder Somolon successfully focused on two of his children becoming a Nurse and a Pharmacist.

Now a retired Police officer, Taiwo Awoniyi’s dad enjoys the fruits of his hard work. He is super proud of what his son (Taiwo) has become.

Taiwo Awoniyi’s Mother:

Mary (his Mum) now has her daily workout at their family home after getting motivation from her son’s commitment to his workout routine. Buying a ball for Taiwo (during his childhood) remains one of her biggest decisions.

The Awoniyi twins, as observed below, never forget to celebrate their Mum. This is the woman Taiwo refer to as the pillar of his career.

Taiwo Awoniyi’s Mother never forgets the promise her son made and fulfilled to her some years ago. On a blessed day, Taiwo called his Mum and sang a Yoruba song to her.

In that song, he said when he gets rich, he would buy her a house and car. Awoniyi also promised to take his Mum on vacation abroad.

As promised, Taiwo Awoniyi gave back to the woman who gave him a ball in the first place. Mary Motunrayo Awoniyi is now a woman who has finally flown past the shores of Nigeria. Taiwo took her on vacation in Germany. Again, he built a beautiful house for his Mum and bought her the car of her dreams.

Taiwo Awoniyi Siblings:

Altogether, there are six children born to his parents, Elder Solomon Adewoye Awoniyi and Mary Motunrayo Awoniyi. The Awoniyi family now have a Nurse, a footballer and a pharmacist. This section of Taiwo’s Bio tells you more about his siblings.

Taiwo Awoniyi’s Brother:

Victor is married to Chioma Charity, a lady from the Nigerian Igbo ethnic group. While his other brother and sisters prefer to live a more private life, Victor appears more vocal.

We credit him for standing by his brother’s side during his difficult years. Victor Awoniyi got married to his beautiful wife in January 2018.

His wedding to Chioma Charity came five months before Taiwo (his celebrity brother) married his wife, Taiye Jesudun.

Taiwo Awoniyi Twin Sister:

The most notable among his female siblings is his twin, Kehinde. Taiwo Awoniyi’s twin sister is likely to be the family’s pharmacist. Kehinde, as confirmed, is a businesswoman – the owner of Kennytee Collections.

This Nigerian Shopping and retail outlet sells affordable Shoes, Bags, ladies’ clothing, and other accessories. Although football takes most of his time, Taiwo still finds time to bond with his twin sister.

Taiwo Awoniyi’s Relatives:

Chioma Charity is a sister-in-law to the Nigerian footballer. She, the wife of (Victor Awoniyi) is a businesswoman. Chioma Charity and her husband own and manage Vikkys World.

This is a clothing store in Mandilas, Lagos. At the time of putting up Awoniyi’s Bio, Chioma and Victor Awoniyi are proud parents of Victory, AKA Victor Jnr.

Taiwo Awoniyi Facts:

This section of our Biographical research tells you more about “The New Rashidi Yekini.” Without using any further of your time, let’s begin.

Taiwo Awoniyi Salary per Week:

The Nigerian attacker’s 2022 contract implies he makes quite a lot of money with Nottingham Forest.

The table below shows Taiwo Awoniyi’s salary in Naira as well as in Great British Pounds. Did you know?… Taiwo Awoniyi makes ₦19,765,659 per week (above 19 million naira – CBN rate) and ₦117,652 every hour (CBN exchange rate).

Taiwo Awoniyi Net Worth:

As of 2022, the total wealth of the Nigerian striker is valued at 3.5 million pounds. Taiwo Awoniyi’s source of income comes mainly from his football wages, sponsorship, and endorsement deals.

Awoniyi’s agent works with Roof. This agency manages other top footballers like Sadio Mane (LW), Kai Havertz (AM), Serge Gnabry (RW), Naby Keïta, etc.

Comparing his Salary to that of the average Nigerian citizen:

Where Taiwo Awoniyi’s family comes from, the average person living in Nigeria makes around  ₦150,000 every month.

Do you know?… Such a person would need to work for 18 years and seven months to make Taiwo Awoniyi’s weekly wages with Nottingham Forest.

Taiwo Awoniyi FIFA:

Aside from defending, do you know that Taiwo Awoniyi lacks only two things in FIFA? At 23, the Nigerian striker only lacks Interceptions and FK accuracy stats (as seen below).

In terms of likeness, he possesses attributes similar to those of Sebastien Haller (CF), Youssef En-Nesyri, and Vincent Aboubakar. Big Awo deserves an upgrade on his FIFA ratings.

Taiwo Awoniyi Religion:

We rank the striker as one of the most devoted Christian footballers in the world. Awoniyi puts God and his Religion first before everything. He is very vocal on his social media platforms regarding his Christian faith.

Regarding the church Taiwo Awoniyi attends (or religious group), research shows that he is a member of the ‘Ballers in God’ movement. This Christian group was founded by John Bostock, the former Tottenham midfielder.

EndNote:

To start with, Taiwo Awoniyi’s parents are Elder Solomon Adewoye Awoniyi (his Dad) and Mary Motunrayo Awoniyi (his Mum). He was born as a twin on the 12th of August 1997 in Illorin city, Nigeria. Taiwo Awoniyi’s twin is Kehinde Awoniyi (his sister).

He grew up in a lower-middle-class family alongside his siblings – notable among them is Victor Awoniyi, his older brother. Regarding his Nigerian state of origin, Taiwo Awoniyi is from Kwara state.

The Nigerian professional footballer is a Yoruba man by ethnicity and tribe. Taiwo Awoniyi’s Father is a retired Nigerian Police Officer. Taiye Jesudun is Taiwo Awoniyi’s wife.

And Taiwo Awoniyi’s son is Emmanual Awoniyi. Early on, he wanted Taiwo Awoniyi to be a Doctor. Jose Mourinho influenced Taiwo Awoniyi’s early career when he (in 2009) visited Kwara state in Nigeria. The following year, he enrolled with Imperial Soccer Academy.

From the beginning, Taiwo Awoniyi’s parents could not afford him football boots. To manage the situation, he used parts of the abandoned boots of his teammates to mend his damaged boots. Garba Abdulrasaq Olojo had an important role in his early career days.

At the age of 13, Taiwo moved to Imperial Soccer Academy’s facility in Lagos, where he was properly cared for (in terms of football and his education).

Through a Cocacola competition, he got into the books of the Nigerian youth team. In the year 2013, Awoniyi won the FIFA U-17 World Cup. He got a transfer to Liverpool after he helped Nigeria to win the African U-20 Championship.

The issue of Taiwo Awoniyi’s work permit stalled his football with Liverpool. After a long loan journey with seven European Soccer outlets, Taiwo striker found belonging in the Bundesliga (with Union Berlin).

In June of 2022, he earned a deserved move to Nottingham Forest, where he is enjoying a further partnership with Ibrahim Sangare and Morgan Gibbs-White.

Indeed, Awoniyi joins the likes of Gift Orban and Victor Boniface as fast-rising Nigerian footballers who are making their name outside the shores of Nigeria.

Appreciation Note:

Thank you for taking the time to read our version of Taiwo Awoniyi’s Biography. We care about accuracy and fairness in our quest to deliver you an African Football Story.

Awoniyi’s Bio is a product of our Nigerian Football Story collection. Please stay tuned for more Naija Football Biographies. That of Josh Maja (CF), Wilfred Ndidi, and Joe Aribo would interest you.

Don’t forget to reach out to us (via comment) if you notice anything that doesn’t look right in our story of the New Rashidi Yekini. He is a footballer who overcame lots of obstacles in his inspiring journey.

Finally, we will appreciate your feedback on the Forest Striker. Kindly tell us what you think about Big Awo and his fantastic Biography story.