Nigerian striker Taiwo Awoniyi could face further punishment from the English Football Association after revealing a religious message on his undershirt to celebrate his goal in Nottingham Forest’s 3-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, March 22.
Awoniyi came off the bench to seal Forest’s emphatic win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, scoring his second league goal of a season badly disrupted by injuries and a loss of form. After finding the net, he sprinted to the corner flag and knelt in an act of worship before removing his jersey to reveal an undershirt bearing the words “God is the greatest.”
The 3-0 scoreline was described as Tottenham’s worst home defeat in more than 111 years, underlining how dominant Forest were throughout the contest.
Awoniyi received an automatic yellow card for removing his shirt, but may now face additional sanctions because of the message displayed beneath it. FA and FIFA equipment regulations explicitly prohibit players from revealing undergarments containing political, religious or personal messages, with the rules stating that any such breach may result in sanctions imposed by the competition organiser, national association or FIFA itself.
A comparable case arose in 2018 when Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was fined £20,000 for wearing a yellow ribbon on his lapel, considered a political symbol linked to the Catalan independence movement. Awoniyi’s situation is viewed as less contentious because his message constituted a personal expression of religious belief rather than a political statement. Authorities may therefore opt for a modest financial penalty or a formal warning rather than a more severe charge.
It is not the first time Awoniyi has drawn attention for similar expressions. In 2024, after scoring against West Ham United, he also removed his shirt to display biblical verses.
Forest manager Vitor Pereira was upbeat after the result. “When you come here and win 3-0, a clean sheet, of course it is something important for confidence,” he said, urging his squad to maintain the same mentality across their remaining fixtures as the club fights to retain Premier League status.
