Former Arsenal defender, Matthew Upson has strongly criticized Nigerian striker Taiwo Awoniyi for squandering a crucial goalscoring opportunity during Nottingham Forest’s FA Cup quarterfinal victory over Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday evening.

With Nottingham Forest’s main striker Chris Wood sidelined due to injury, Awoniyi was given a rare starting opportunity in a high-stakes encounter. However, the Super Eagles forward failed to make a lasting impact before being substituted in the second half for winger Anthony Elanga.

The 26-year-old had a golden opportunity to put Forest ahead in the first half when he latched onto a perfectly placed pass from compatriot and fellow Super Eagles star Ola Aina.

However, instead of keeping his composure and taking his time to pick his spot, Awoniyi rushed his shot, allowing Brighton’s goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen to make a strong save, keeping the scoreline level.

Reacting to the wasted chance while providing analysis for the game on BBC One, former England international Matthew Upson pointed out Awoniyi’s poor decision-making at a critical moment.

“Taiwo Awoniyi doesn’t realise how much time he had,” Upson remarked. “Jan Paul van Hecke couldn’t challenge for the ball, but it was a good strong right foot from Bart Verbruggen to deny him.”

Despite Awoniyi’s missed opportunity, Nottingham Forest ultimately progressed to the FA Cup semi-finals after securing a dramatic 4-3 victory in a penalty shootout against Brighton.

The thrilling encounter ended in a goalless draw after extra time, marking Forest’s third penalty shootout triumph in this season’s FA Cup competition.

Super Eagles and Nottingham Forest fullback Ola Aina played the full 120 minutes, delivering a solid performance just days after featuring in Nigeria’s 1-1 draw against South Africa in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Forest’s goalkeeper Matz Sels emerged as the hero of the night, producing crucial saves against Jack Hinshelwood and Diego Gomez to help secure the victory after Neco Williams had missed his penalty attempt.

Awoniyi’s ongoing struggles in front of goal have been evident throughout the current campaign, with the Nigerian international managing just two goals in 27 appearances across all competitions.

His lack of sharpness in attack has significantly contributed to his omission from Nigeria’s squad for the last international break, meaning he was absent from the crucial World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe.

With Chris Wood still recovering from injury, Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espírito Santo may be forced to rely on Awoniyi in the upcoming Premier League fixtures. However, the striker will need to deliver significantly improved performances if he is to reclaim his status as the club’s main attacking option.

With a series of crucial Premier League games ahead, as well as Nottingham Forest’s aspirations of securing a top-four finish, the pressure is mounting on Awoniyi to step up, improve his finishing, and prove his worth as a key player in the squad.