Nottingham Forest secured a place in the FA Cup quarter-finals after defeating Ipswich Town 5-4 on penalties following a 1-1 draw after extra time, with Nigerian duo Ola Aina and Taiwo Awoniyi both featuring.
Aina completed the full 90 minutes before being withdrawn in extra time, while Awoniyi led the attack until he was replaced by Chris Wood with eight minutes remaining in normal time. Softfootball gathered that goalkeeper Matz Sels emerged as Forest’s hero with the decisive save in the shootout.
Ipswich broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute when George Hirst headed home to put the visitors in front.
Forest responded just 15 minutes later through captain Ryan Yates, whose equaliser forced the contest into extra time after both teams failed to find a winner.
With the scores still level after 120 minutes, the tie was decided from the penalty spot. Sels produced the crucial save to deny Jack Taylor after the opening nine penalties had all been converted.
The victory sends Nottingham Forest into the FA Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 2022, where they will face Brighton & Hove Albion as they continue their bid for a first FA Cup triumph since the 1958/59 season.
