Nottingham Forest defender Ola Aina is looking forward to returning to the Super Eagles as Nigeria begin their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign against Madagascar on Friday.
The Super Eagles will host Madagascar at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo in their opening qualifying fixture before traveling to face Guinea-Bissau next Tuesday.
Aina has been out of the national team since suffering an injury during Nigeria’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign in September 2025.
After recovering, he was included in the 54-man provisional squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations but was not selected in the final 28-man squad for the tournament held between December 2025 and January 2026.
Aina expressed his desire to make an immediate impact as the Super Eagles begin their qualification campaign.
The defender said the team’s priority was to start with a victory and secure all three points on home soil.
Aina was part of Nigeria’s squad that reached the final of the 2023 AFCON in Ivory Coast, where the Super Eagles finished as runners-up.
Since making his international debut in October 2017, the versatile defender has earned 48 caps and provided four assists for Nigeria.
His ability to play at both right-back and left-back gives head coach Eric Chelle an extra option at full-back. Aina has also featured regularly for Nottingham Forest this season, making four Premier League appearances so far.
Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has come under criticism after arriving late at Nigeria’s camp in Uyo ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.
The Udinese goalkeeper was the last invited player to report to camp, with 23 players already taking part in the team’s first training session.
The situation attracted attention after footage emerged on social media showing Okoye alongside American rapper Cardi B at Milan Fashion Week, where the goalkeeper also modeled Udinese’s third kit.
Okoye’s late arrival has also revived previous concerns about his punctuality during international assignments.
He was reportedly the last player to arrive in camp ahead of Nigeria’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Benin Republic in June 2024. He was similarly criticized during preparations for the 2025 AFCON qualifiers in November 2025.
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