Taiwo Awoniyi’s move to Coventry City reunited him with fellow Super Eagle Frank Onyeka — but the newly promoted Sky Blues have made a rough start to life back in the Premier League.
Taiwo Awoniyi and Frank Onyeka are wearing the same shirt again. After years apart, the two Super Eagles are now teammates at Coventry City — but their reunion has coincided with one of the toughest starts to a Premier League season a promoted side can have.
Coventry City confirmed the signing of Awoniyi from Nottingham Forest on 16 August 2026, in a permanent deal reported at around €19.9m. Nottingham Forest’s official statement described it as the end of “four memorable years” for the striker, who made 103 appearances for the club after his move from Union Berlin, helping Forest return to the Premier League and reach the Europa League.
The move made Awoniyi the club’s sixth signing of a busy summer window and reunited him with Onyeka, who had already completed his own switch to Coventry from Brentford earlier in the transfer window. For Nigerian fans, the appeal was obvious: two Super Eagles regulars, both accustomed to English football, now sharing a dressing room at a club making its long-awaited return to the top flight.
Coventry City’s promotion was itself a story worth telling. The Sky Blues sealed their return to the Premier League on 17 April 2026 with a 1-1 draw at Blackburn Rovers, wrapping up the Championship title with three matches still to play. As a result, this season marks Coventry’s first top-flight campaign since 2001 — a 25-year absence finally ended under Frank Lampard.
That context matters for Awoniyi and Onyeka. Neither player signed for a club simply making up the numbers; Coventry arrived in the Premier League as champions of the division below, with real ambition to establish themselves. However, the opening weeks of the season have tested that ambition severely.
Onyeka started in central midfield as Coventry opened their Premier League campaign with a 3-0 defeat to Arsenal, while Awoniyi was introduced from the bench in the 70th minute. The pair were reunited from kick-off on 5 September 2026, when Coventry travelled to the Etihad Stadium and lost 1-0 to Manchester City, with Awoniyi leading the line as the central striker before being replaced in the 71st minute.
As a result, Coventry went into the September international break without a win, a draw, or even a goal scored in their first three Premier League matches — a genuinely difficult return to the top flight. In fact, few promoted sides in recent memory have opened a season with a blank scoresheet after three games, which only adds pressure on Lampard’s attacking options, Awoniyi included, to find their first goal of the campaign soon.
For Nigerian supporters, Coventry’s results carry weight beyond one club’s Premier League survival fight. Both Awoniyi and Onyeka are established Super Eagles internationals, and regular football at any level of the Premier League keeps them sharp for Eric Chelle’s squad as Nigeria opens its AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign against Madagascar in Uyo on 23 September, before travelling to face Guinea-Bissau four days later.
Meanwhile, a front-foot striker like Awoniyi finding his scoring form at club level tends to translate into confidence on international duty — something Chelle will be watching closely as he finalises his squad for the qualifiers. Onyeka, for his part, offers the kind of defensive-midfield discipline that has become a fixture of recent Super Eagles selections.
Coventry’s next assignment after the international break will be an important marker for both players — a chance to open their account for the season and ease the pressure building around Lampard’s rebuild. That said, patience is often needed with promoted sides adjusting to the pace and quality of the Premier League, and neither Awoniyi nor Onyeka is new to proving doubters wrong in England.
Nigerian Matchday’s editorial team will continue tracking how the Coventry duo’s form develops, particularly with a home AFCON qualifier against Madagascar now less than three weeks away. For the latest on the Super Eagles squad heading into that window, see our AFCON 2027 qualifiers fixtures breakdown and our squad watch feature on Chelle’s plans.
When did Taiwo Awoniyi join Coventry City?
Coventry confirmed the signing on 16 August 2026, in a permanent transfer from Nottingham Forest reported at around €19.9m.
Has Frank Onyeka played for Coventry this season?
Yes. Onyeka started Coventry’s Premier League opener against Arsenal and their away match at Manchester City in early September 2026.
How has Coventry City started the Premier League season?
Coventry were winless without scoring a goal through their first three Premier League matches of 2026/27, following defeats to Arsenal and Manchester City.
When do the Super Eagles play their next competitive match?
Nigeria opens AFCON 2027 qualifying at home to Madagascar in Uyo on 23 September 2026, before facing Guinea-Bissau away on 27 September.
For more on how Nigerian stars are settling into English football this season, check out our roundup of Nigerian players to watch in the Premier League 2026/27.
Sources: Nottingham Forest FC, Premier League, Sky Sports, Sofascore.
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