Football’s lawmakers are set to review the incident that left Super Eagles striker Taiwo Awoniyi needing surgery for a potentially life-threatening injury.
The Nottingham Forest star was placed into an induced coma and needed intensive care and an operation after he smashed into a post during his side’s 2-2 draw with Leicester City on Sunday.
A protocol introduced in 2020 has been condemned by many after Awoniyi’s injury. It says that officials can delay offside flags in ‘very clear attacking situations when a player is about to score a goal or has a clear run into/towards the opponents’ penalty area’.
In Awoniyi’s case, he was hurt when he was chasing a cross made by Anthony Elanga, who was subsequently flagged for offside.
Had the flag been raised earlier, the likelihood is that the player would not have been left with a ruptured intestine and in the hospital.
According to Mail Online, the incident will be reviewed in due course. Whether that will trigger a change remains to be seen.
The protocol’s purpose, according to lawmakers, is to allow more goals to be scored as officials do not intervene until the attack is completed and a VAR check can be carried out if necessary.
Nigeria star Awoniyi was on Wednesday night, May 14, out of an induced coma and recovering after the completion of a complex operation. He was awake and with his family.
