Taiwo Awoniyi hit the nail on the head with the statement he made in a recent interview because without hard work and perhaps ‘Grace’ it will be impossible for any player to be invited to the Super Eagles.
“You just have to keep your hope alive, keep working hard and believe that with God all things are possible”. Said Awoniyi.
And, judging from the gametime he has been afforded by Achim Beierlorzer (Mainz coach), it will appear that his hard work in training is starting to pay off. However, on the pitch it is quite a different story.
Prior to concussion caused by a clashing of heads with an opponent which led to his brief hospitalisation, Awoniyi had been playing like a player with a long road to recovery ahead.
His games seemed a bit rough around the edges however the more he played, the smoother and sharper he was slowly becoming.
For someone who needs more gametime to boost his mental-conditioning, this accident came at the worst possible time.
Now he has to start all over again, first to make starting 11s and then to play to a higher standard of performance.
National team football seems a long shot at the moment moment but like he said, ‘with God, all things are possible’.
Awoniyi has played in 12 games out of 36 for Mainz this season in the league with 1 goal to his name.