Super Eagles camp: Ola Aina situation raises selection concern ahead of 2027 AFCON qualifiers

Ola Aina's commitment to the Super Eagles has come under scrutiny following his omission from the squads set to feature in the Unity Cup as well as the upcoming friendlies against Poland and Portugal, Soccernet.ng reports.

​Coach Chelle announced his squads for these fixtures earlier this week, presenting two significantly different lists.

For the Unity Cup, he handed call-ups to 12 debutants alongside several non-regulars. Meanwhile, for the high-profile friendlies against Poland and Portugal, he recalled the team's big guns.

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​The most notable absentee, however, was Nottingham Forest star Ola Aina. The 29-year-old is arguably Nigeria's best right-back and was widely expected to feature in the matches against Poland and Portugal.

​Initially, it was believed his omission was injury-related. Aina suffered a muscle strain during last month's Europa League clash against Aston Villa. However, it was confirmed on Thursday that he has returned to training, indicating he will soon be match-fit.

​”Murillo still isn’t training with the team. Ola Aina started working on the pitch today. Dan Ndoye has trained twice with the squad, so we’ll see,” Nottingham Forest boss Vitor Pereira stated.

​This raises a burning question: Is Ola Aina fit for Nottingham Forest, but not fit for the Super Eagles?

​The Bigger Picture

​The last time Aina featured for Nigeria was during a World Cup qualifier against South Africa at the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein.

​Leading up to that match, heavy concerns were raised regarding the quality of the pitch. Aina ultimately became a casualty of the poor playing surface, suffering a hamstring injury during the game.

​The injury sidelined him until December. At the time, with the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) fast approaching, there was uncertainty over his participation with the national team.

​Ultimately, Aina was left out of the tournament squad—but not due to fitness issues. He had already recovered and was fit to play before the tournament started.

By comparison, Morocco star Achraf Hakimi was carried into the AFCON tournament while still nursing an injury, eventually returning to the starting lineup by the third group game.

​Had Aina been determined to represent the Super Eagles at AFCON, he could have joined the squad and played. Also, Nottingham Forest would have lacked the leverage to block his release, given his status as one of the senior and highly respected figures at his club and in the national team setup.

​Even after the end of the 2025 AFCON, the former Chelsea academy graduate was also conspicuously absent from the squads that faced Iran and Jordan.

​Is Ola Aina Still Committed to the Super Eagles?

​With these successive absences from Nigeria's fixtures over the last five months, questioning Aina’s commitment and loyalty to the Super Eagles is entirely justified.

​Following years of inconsistent performances—most notably punctuated by the team's failure to qualify for the upcoming World Cup—it is crucial that only fully committed players are handed the honor of wearing the green and white jersey.

​While Aina's brilliance is undeniable, Bright Osayi-Samuel stepped into the right-back role during AFCON, and delivered top performances game after game. There is even Benjamin Fredrick who is also recovering from an injury. And he is always sure to deliver quality whenever he plays for Nigeria.

​Now 29 and approaching the twilight of his international career, Aina will undoubtedly want to leave a lasting legacy with the national team.

After this current window of international friendlies, Nigeria’s next assignment will be the AFCON 2027 qualifiers which begin in September. Whether Aina returns to the fold or remains on the sidelines is yet to be seen.