Sad News for Nigeria As Super Eagles Star Ola Aina Reportedly Ruled Out of AFCON 2025
- Super Eagles defender Ola Aina is expected to miss AFCON 2025 due to a long-term hamstring injury suffered in September
- Nottingham Forest confirmed Aina’s recovery won’t be complete until January, after Nigeria’s AFCON squad is finalised
- Nigeria will face massive defensive setbacks as Aina joins Benjamin Fredrick and Felix Agu on the injury list
Nigeria’s hopes of winning a fourth Africa Cup of Nations title have suffered a major setback with reports indicating that Ola Aina will not recover in time for AFCON 2025.
The Super Eagles defender, one of the standout performers from the 2023 edition, has been battling a hamstring injury that now appears set to keep him out of the tournament in Morocco.
Source: Getty Images
Aina picked up the injury in the opening minutes of Nigeria’s World Cup qualifier against South Africa in September and has not featured in any competitive match since, BBC reports.
The 29-year-old fullback’s absence has been felt heavily at club level, and it now threatens to weaken Nigeria’s defensive options in a competition where every detail matters.
Nottingham Forest confirm Aina’s delayed return
Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche confirmed that Aina will be unavailable for selection for their upcoming English Premier League fixture against Wolves, revealing that the fullback is still far from full fitness.
The Chelsea academy graduate has already missed sixteen matches across all competitions and is not expected to return until January.
Complicating matters further, Aina is currently ineligible to play for Forest even if he recovered early, as the club did not register him for the Premier League or the Europa League after his injury.
This means he will not return to top-level football until the transfer window reopens, well after Nigeria’s AFCON squad will have been released.
With the 2025 AFCON set to kick off on January 21, 2025, Aina simply will not have enough time to regain match sharpness.
Nigeria’s head coach, Eric Chelle, is expected to announce his final 25-man squad soon, and all signs point to Aina being left out.
Aina’s withdrawal piles more pressure on the Super Eagles, who are already dealing with several defensive absences.
Source: Getty Images
Brentford’s Benjamin Fredrick and Werder Bremen’s Felix Agu have also been ruled out of AFCON 2025 due to injuries, leaving Chelle with limited options in a tournament where squad depth will be crucial.
Nigeria enters AFCON 2025 with high expectations. After losing in the final of the 2023 edition, the Super Eagles are determined to go one step further this time.
As seen on CAF Online, the Three-time African champions have been drawn in Group C alongside Tunisia, Uganda, and Tanzania, a group Nigeria should navigate easily, but the absence of key defenders adds an unwanted layer of uncertainty.
Despite the setbacks, Nigeria still boasts a strong squad with stars like Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Alex Iwobi, Samuel Chukwueze, and Stanley Nwabali expected to lead the charge.
NFF President meets Aina in London
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Ibrahim Musa Gusau, the president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), made a personal visit to London to meet with Super Eagles defender Ola Aina.
The meeting aimed to check on Aina’s progress and offer words of encouragement as he continues his rehabilitation from a serious hamstring injury.
Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
