Ola Aina will not play any part in the Super Eagles’ final 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against Rwanda on Monday, November 18 as the defender is back in England.
The Super Eagles’ media officer, Promise Efoghe provided this information in a statement he posted on the team’s official WhatsApp platform on Saturday evening while giving an update.
“Ola Aina has returned to England on the request of his club, Nottingham Forest. The Premier League side pleaded with Coach Austin Eguavoen to release the defender early,” Efoghe said.
“That is ahead of their big game against Arsenal in the English Premier League since Nigeria’s 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) ticket has been secured,” the media officer concluded.
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This brings to two the number of players that have been ruled out of the final 2025 AFCON qualifier against Rwanda at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
The first player that was ruled out is the Super Eagles’ first-choice goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali whose father died on Friday morning, a sad news which he announced on his Instagram page.
The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) and the Super Eagles head coach, Augustine Eguavoen thereafter decided to excuse the grieving Nwabali from the squad to confront the Amavubi of Rwanda.
Aina, meanwhile, came off for Bright Osayi-Samuel in the 82nd minute of Nigeria’s 1-1 draw with Benin Republic at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire on Thursday night.
