Super Eagles Star Recalls How Mother Couldn’t Afford to Take Him to Nigeria for Holiday, Video

• Super Eagles defender Ola Aina has opened up about his family experiences before joining the senior national team in 2017
• The Nottingham Forest star is currently part of coach Eric Chelle’s setup, having previously played under Gernot Rohr, Jose Peseiro, Finidi George, and Austin Eguavoen
• The 28-year-old also provided an assist for Victor Osimhen in the 2026 World Cup qualifier against Rwanda in Kigali

Ola Aina opened up about the financial challenges his family faced while he was growing up.

Born in London to Nigerian parents, Aina revealed that his mother couldn’t afford flight tickets for them to enjoy a holiday in Nigeria.

The Chelsea academy graduate said he visited Nigeria for the first time only after being invited by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to represent the country.

Aina is among the foreign-born players persuaded by former NFF president Amaju Pinnick to choose Nigeria over England, the three-time AFCON champions.

According to TnTSports, the Nottingham Forest star shared that although his mother wanted him to visit Nigeria at a younger age, financial difficulties made it impossible.

The former England U20 player described his first arrival in Nigeria as a uniquely emotional experience. He said:

"When I was younger, my mother did not have the funds to take me on holidays back to home.

So, I hadn't gone back to Nigeria until the first time I actually played for the Super Eagles, which was crazy. It was a surreal moment for me. She always wanted to take me back when I was younger, but I guess she couldn't.

"When I was getting older, obviously football was getting more serious, and I didn't have the time. I went back to Nigeria when I started playing for the Super Eagles, and it was an amazing feeling but I remembered that first trip."

I was treated like a king- Aina

Super Eagles defender Ola Aina said Nigerian fans treated him like royalty, as if he were a former Ballon d'Or winner.

The former Torino player added that integrating into the national team was easy, thanks to the presence of Alex Iwobi and three other Europe-based players.

He also praised the team’s strong mentality and setup, highlighting the love and affection shared among the players. He said:

"When I first went, it was only Alex Iwobi that was there. Now we have captain William Troost-Ekong, Leon Balogun and Kelechi Iheanacho. Those were the four that I could really mingle with because they all played in Europe. Alex Iwobi is my boy from kneehigh, you get me; so those are the ones I was mingling with, you feel me.

"It actually made my transition into that team and set up smooth. The love we get in Nigeria is second to none, it's mental. I went there and they're shouting my name like I've won the Ballon d'Or before; it's nut."

Ola Aina has featured in three Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournaments for Nigeria and missed out on the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar after the Super Eagles failed to overcome Ghana in the qualifiers, per ESPN.

As per Transfermarkt, the defender played a key role for Nottingham Forest in the 2024/25 Premier League season, making 35 appearances and scoring two goals.

Aina reveals why he chose Nigeria over England

Legit.ng earlier reported that Nottingham Forest defender Ola Aina has opened up on the decision to ditch England and pledge his international future to Nigeria, which he took in May 2017.

Aina noted three main reasons behind his decision to play for Nigeria, the top of which was his family connection.

He noted that his family wanted him to play for Nigeria, and it coincided with England no longer calling him up for the U21, having played for the U20 team.

Source: Legit.ng