Super Eagles Media Officer Hints at Why Eric Chelle Benched Ola Aina Against Guinea-Bissau
- Super Eagles media officer Promise Efoghe gave a reason why Ola Aina did not feature in the 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in Bissau
- Efoghe pointed to the poor condition of the pitch at the September 24 Stadium as a key factor in the decision
- Aina had previously suffered a hamstring injury on a bad pitch against South Africa that kept him out of football for nearly a year
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Super Eagles media officer Promise Efoghe has suggested that Ola Aina's absence from the starting lineup against Guinea-Bissau was driven by psychological concern, not physical unavailability, following Nigeria's 3-0 loss at the September 24 Stadium in Bissau.
Aina had played 87 minutes during Nigeria's 2-1 win over Madagascar on matchday one of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, but was left as an unused substitute when the Super Eagles faced the Wild Dogs days later. Bright Osayi-Samuel filled in at his position.
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Aina's last appearance for Nigeria before the Madagascar game was the 1-1 draw against South Africa in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier in September 2025, according to ANS.
He picked up a hamstring injury during that match that required surgery, ruling him out of AFCON 2025 in Morocco as well as all subsequent international windows.
Why Aina missed Guinea-Bissau clash
Speaking to News Central TV after the defeat, Efoghe pointed directly to the state of the pitch in Bissau as the backdrop to the decision.
“They are very similar. You wonder why Ola Aina could not play the game yesterday; it is a physiological thing,” Efoghe said.
“Remember, it was on a bad pitch against South Africa that Ola Aina picked up an injury that took him out of football for almost one year.”
Efoghe's comments suggest coach Eric Chelle, who made the final call to bench Aina, may have factored in the risk of a recurrence on an equally poor playing surface when deciding on his lineup for the Guinea-Bissau game.
Nigeria's back-to-back qualifier results, a win against Madagascar followed by a heavy defeat in Bissau, have drawn scrutiny on squad selection decisions throughout the double matchday.
Chelle laments poor pitch in Bissau
Legit.ng previously reported that Eric Chelle lamented the poor state of the pitch at the September 24 Stadium in Guinea-Bissau where Nigeria played.
However, the manager refused to use that as an excuse after the 3-0 loss and admitted that the Djurtus were the better team and deserved to win.
Source: Legit.ng
