Ola Aina Opens Up On Pressure Of Playing For Nigeria
Nottingham Forest defender Ola Aina has spoken about the pressure that comes with playing for the Super Eagles, saying expectations from Nigerian and African fans can be very high.
The 29-year-old has been a regular member of the Nigeria national team since making his debut under former coach Gernot Rohr in 2017.
Born in London, Aina represented England at youth level before choosing to play for Nigeria at senior level.
Over the years, he has established himself as one of Nigeria’s key defenders, although injuries and club commitments have affected his appearances for the national team.
Before Nigeria’s recent 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Madagascar, Aina had not played for the Super Eagles for more than a year.
While in camp, the defender shared a new episode of his personal vlog on YouTube, where he spoke about life with the national team and the pressure that comes with representing Nigeria.
“Playing for Nigeria is exciting. It’s exciting, but at the same time, the expectations in Nigeria are just mad,” Aina said.
He explained that the pressure does not only come from Nigerians, but from football fans across Africa.
“It’s not only from Nigeria, though. It’s all of Africa — African giants for a reason. Because it’s the whole continent watching, the expectations are always through the roof,” he said.
Aina added that Nigerian fans want both results and good football.
“Nigerians want to see good football. We could win games, but if we’re not winning in good fashion, they start getting onto us. Obviously, when we win, they’re happy, but they want to be entertained,” he said.
The defender also said there are times when the team simply needs to focus on getting the result.
“I hear it; that’s the way it’s been for decades. But sometimes you just need to get the job done without necessarily putting on a show. The expectations make it hard sometimes, but it’s part of the game.”
Aina produced a solid performance in Nigeria’s win over Madagascar but was left on the bench for the subsequent match against Guinea-Bissau.
The Super Eagles suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat in that match, adding to the pressure surrounding the team.
