Despite the challenges he has faced in his professional career, the striker has remained steadfast in his commitment to God.
It wasn’t tough to see why Taiwo Awoniyi’s goal for Nottingham Forest and the celebrations in the 3-0 triumph over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the English Premier Soccer League captivated audiences in early January. It was Awoniyi’s first goal and game of the season and it was in that match that the forward underscored the revered place of God and the Holy Bible in his personal and professional life.
On January 6, Taiwo Awoniyi came on as a late substitute for Forest in the away game against Wolves and made it three for the visitors in the 90th minute after two goals by Morgan Gibbs-White and Chris Wood had confidently placed success within close view of the visitors. Awoniyi’s late strike compounded their host’s woes, making sure the defeat and pain was bone-deep for home fans at Molineux Stadium and their supporters elsewhere. But it was the player’s celebration that captivated many, even though the Nigerian had just rediscovered his celebrated scoring form after a long absence in front of goal.
Awoniyi’s iconic goal celebration made God-Talk, faith, and the Bible vigorous talking points among soccer fans. Moments after scoring for Nottingham Forest, Awoniyi pulled out his shin guards, displaying a powerful verse from the Holy Bible. Referencing James 1:17, Awoniyi engraved these words on his shin guards: “Every good and perfect gift is from above.”
James Ward-Prowse provided the important assist for Awoniyi. While the striker had written those words on his shin pads before the game, the whole display assumed broader meanings and interpretations when he ended up being helped in the crucial moment by a player whose first name matched that from the Bible. The player’s iconic celebratory moment holds significance and lessons.
Several sportsmen have referenced God in the past, employing different shades and emphasis. What Awoniyi did is hardly surprising, yet it remains absorbing because of the inherent message, his wobbling striking form, and the divine source of his words. In the large print edition of the Revised Standard Version of the Catholic Bible (Oxford University Press 2008), the Book of James covers just six pages. But it remains rich in several important Christian teachings.
Awoniyi chose his celebratory verse very thoughtfully. The Letter of James opens with a salutation from the writer as he describes himself as a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. James’ letter offers deep insights on faith and wisdom, poverty and riches, trial and temptation, hearing and doing the Word, and warning against partiality. Faith without works is dead, taming the tongue, two kinds of wisdom, friendship with the Word, warning against judging another, boasting about tomorrow, warning to rich oppressors, patience in suffering, and the prayer of faith are among the other important issues addressed in the book.
Awoniyi celebrated the way he did because his form had dipped despite the talents and promise he displayed from his earliest beginning as an international youth player. He wanted to return to his former self amidst pressure from fans. Again, he sought to emphasize the point that his goal-scoring skills are good gifts from God. Awoniyi desired to inspire others to trust in God, the supernatural being who controls the cosmos. His unshakable faith and belief in God are remarkable. Despite the challenges he has faced in his professional career, the striker has remained steadfast in his commitment to God. His unwavering devotion is also exemplified on his X page, the striker insisting that “God is the greatest.”
Awoniyi’s shin guards acknowledged the place of God in his life. His celebration echoed the view of Niccolo Machiavelli. In his seminal book The Prince, Machiavelli writes: “I am well aware that many have held and still hold the opinion that the affairs of this world are so controlled by fortune and by the divine power that human wisdom and foresight cannot modify them.”
By quoting from the Holy Bible, Taiwo Awoniyi publicly placed his goals and success on the altar of God. This is understandable coming from a player who had so much starch only to lose some of it when expectations had risen from his fans. The Holy Bible reference underscores Awoniyi’s deep Christian faith and firm belief in the divine. Awoniyi’s January Bible-influenced celebration wasn’t his first. He enacted something similar in February 2024, boldly displaying biblical words on his undershirt.
Having endured a tough time without goals, Taiwo Awoniyi will keep believing in God to regain and maintain his explosive form as a potent striker and to receive “every good and perfect gift from above” because these gifts are “coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change,” the concluding part of James verse 17 says.
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