Taiwo Michael Awoniyi, wanda aka haife shi a ranar 12 ga watan Agusta 1997 a Ilorin, Jihar Kwara, yana daya daga cikin labaran kwallon kafa mafi ban sha'awa na Najeriya — yaro da ya goge hazakarsa a gasar matakin ƙasa kafin wasan ya kai shi nesa da garinsa.

An gano iyawar Awoniyi tun da wuri a lokacin gasar matasa ta gida, inda hazakarsa ta halitta ta bambanta shi da takwarorinsa. Waɗancan wasanni sun sanya masa gurbi a Imperial Soccer Academy, wata matakin da ta kafa tushen aikinsa na ƙwararru.

A Imperial Soccer Academy, Awoniyi ya yi horo karkashin jagorancin Seyi Olofinjana, tsohon ɗan wasan tsakiya na Super Eagles wanda ya kawo gogewa da manufa ga shirin. Jaggorancin Olofinjana ya ba wa ɗan wasan matashi ci gaba na fasaha da kuma ƙarfin tunani da ake bukata don gasa a mataki mafi ƙoli.

Tun daga waɗancan kwanakin farko a Jihar Kwara, Awoniyi ya buɗe hanya a kwallon kafa ta Turai — wata tafiya da ke nuna himmarsa da ingancin tushen da aka kafa a lokacin ƙuruciyarsa.