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Taiwo Awoniyi’s national team troubles are bad news for Liverpool

Mathew Nash

Thu 18 June 2020 9:15, UK

Any hope Liverpool might have of Taiwo Awoniyi ever receiving a work permit to play for the club appears to be dwindling, as the striker admits having no contact with Nigeria’s head coach Gernot Rohr over a Super Eagles call-up. 

Liverpool signed the talented Nigerian in the summer of 2015. Liverpool paid £400,000 for the player, the money going to Swedish side Kalmar, who had the right of first-option on the player if he was to leave the Imperial Academy in Nigeria,

Unfortunately, he has not been eligible for a work permit so has subsequently spent time on loan with the likes of FSV Frankfurt, NEC Nijmegen, Mouscron, Gent and, his current club, Bundesliga strugglers Mainz. 

For Awoniyi, who is by Liverpool, to ever play for the Reds he will need a work permit. To receive that, playing for his national team is a must. However, the nation’s German coach has not yet been in touch, as Awoniyi

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“I think it is every player’s dream to play for his national team. But still you can’t control it and Nigeria is blessed with abundance of football talents everywhere.

“You just have to keep your hope alive, keep working hard and believe that with God all things are possible.

“No. I have never spoken with Gernot Rohr.”

Nigeria have recently convinced Heracles Almelo striker Cyril Dessers to transfer allegiance from the Netherlands and also have the likes of Ahmed Musa, Emmanuel Dennis, Odion Ighalo, Kelechi Iheanacho and Victor Osimhen in their stacked attacking ranks.

So Awoniyi will need to hit a hot patch of form to force his way into international contention in the months to come. 

At the moment, it seems unlikely and Liverpool may continue to struggle to obtain the paperwork necessary for the striker to ever become an Anfield fixture.