Super Eagles defender Ola Aina Injured ahead of AFCON qualifiers
Super Eagles defender Ola Aina might miss Nigeria’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Benin Republic and Rwanda. SportsRation reports.
Aina got injured during Nottingham Forest’s Premier League game against Bournemouth on Saturday. He had to leave the match in the 54th minute due to a calf injury, with Harry Toffolo coming on as his replacement.
The 27-year-old defender also missed the Super Eagles’ 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Benin Republic in June.
Nigeria will host Benin Republic at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on Saturday, September 7. Three days later, they will play against Rwanda at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali.
In the meantime, Rwanda’s head coach Thorsten Spittler has announced a provisional 36-man squad for their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Libya and Nigeria. The squad mostly features players from the Rwanda Premier League. Defender Emmanuel Imanishimwe, who plays for Cypriot club AEL Limassol, is the standout player in the team. Spittler is expected to trim the squad before the qualifiers.
Rwanda will face Libya at the Tripoli Stadium on Wednesday, September 4, and then host the Super Eagles at the Amahoro Stadium on Tuesday, September 10.
