VIDEO: Awoniyi gives testimony in church after Nottingham Forest’s relegation survival

Taiwo Awoniyi, Super Eagles striker, says he prayed on “my knees from 6 am to 12noon” the day he scored a brace against Southampton in the just concluded English Premier League (EPL) season.

Awoniyi spoke while giving testimony during a recent church service tagged Koinonia and organised by the Eternity Network International (ENI).

The 25-year-old had scored his first EPL brace in a 4-3 victory over Southampton on May 8.

He would follow the performance with another brace against Chelsea the following week.

He also netted the vital goal that guaranteed Forest another season in the EPL.

Awoniyi scored 11 goals in all competitions for the club despite a few months of injury layoff.

Nottingham Forest Striker, Taiwo Awoniyi testifies in church after his team survived relegation. pic.twitter.com/Qd96gSJn9N

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While testifying in the church, the Ilorin-born striker acknowledged that the early stage of his move to the English side was “really tough”.

He added that the situation changed when Taiwo Jesudun, his wife, nudged him about his reluctant attitude towards prayer.

“I moved to England with my family. The beginning was really tough. I had no idea what was going on. My wife said to me, ‘You’ve stopped praying. You don’t pray the way you used to do anymore.’ And that was true,” Awoniyi said.

“So, on May 7, I think, Daddy was preaching about the ways of God. The first statement that I heard was that ‘everyone should return to the pattern that they used to praise God.’ That Monday, we had a game in the night. I was on my knees from 6 am to 12 noon. That night, that was the easiest game that I have played in my life. And I scored twice.

“My club, which was really struggling for relegation, moved from that zone and stayed in the league. I just want to give all the glory to God.”