AFCON qualifiers: Super Eagles reveal why Ola Aina didn’t play against Guinea-Bissau

The Nigeria national football team, the Super Eagles, recently faced Guinea-Bissau in a 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match, which ended in a 3-0 victory for Guinea-Bissau. However, the reasons behind the absence of player Ola Aina from the match have been clarified by the Super Eagles' media officer, Promise Efoghe. Aina, who recently rejoined the team, did not make it to the starting lineup, with Birmingham City's Bright Osayi-Samuel taking his place at right-back.

The reason for Aina's absence was attributed to fitness concerns, and Efoghe expressed worries regarding the poor state of the playing surface at the Stade du 24 Septembre. He pointed out that the decision was influenced by the player's prior experience at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein, where he suffered an injury that kept him out of football for nearly a year.

Efoghe drew a parallel between the two pitches, suggesting they were quite similar and could have contributed to Aina's inability to play. He also urged for improved playing conditions across African football, calling for stakeholders to address the issue to prevent such problems from recurring.